Bionic eyes given to blind patients

Surgeons describe procedure as “straight out of science fiction”

Bionic eyes have been implanted in British patients for the first time.

This month surgeons at the Moorfields Eye hospital in London successfully implanted electronic artificial retinas into the back of the eye of two blind patients.

The trial aims to restore a basic level of useful vision, in the form of spots of light and shapes of light and dark, to people suffering severe blindness due to retinitis pigmentosa (RP), a group of inherited eye diseases that affects the retina.

The bionic eye, known as Argus II, works with a tiny camera mounted in a pair of glasses.

This transmits a wireless signal via a small processor – which can be worn on a belt – into a receiver and a panel of electrodes placed in the back of the eye.

The electrodes stimulate the remaining retinal nerves, allowing a signal to be passed along the optic nerve to the brain, which is said to perceive patterns of light and dark spots corresponding to the electrodes that are stimulated.

According to the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB), more than two million people in the UK have significant sight loss, with more than 360,000 registered as blind or partially sighted.

The operations were carried out by Mr Lyndon da Cruz, a consultant retinal surgeon at Moorfields, who said that if the treatment was successful it could help thousands of blind people in the future.

He said he hoped that the implant could be available to NHS patients within three to five years.

RNIB eye health campaign manager Barbara McLauglan said: "An improved bionic eye that allows blind people to see more of their surroundings will improve their mobility and quality of life.

“RNIB will continue to monitor progress in this area with great interest over the next few years."