Bionic Eye Restores Mans Vision, Gives Hopes to Millions with Age Related Blindness

An eighty year British man was able to clearly for the first time in almost a decade thanks to a bionic eye implant.

Age related macular degeneration (AMD) is the chief cause behind vision impairment for people aged 65 or older.

The Argus bionic eye was fitted on ray Flynn following a 4 hour surgery in June which was turned only recently.

The device consists of a small camera fitted to glasses and the feeds from the camera are sent to a retinal implant that has been placed inside the bionic eye.

The implant transmits these feed by stimulating healthy cells in the retina of the wearer which is later recognized by the brain resulting in vision.

Prior to the surgery, Flynn had severe impaired vision and could not even recognize the faces of his family members.

Two weeks after the surgery, Flynn's vision had been restored to the extent that he was able to recognize horizontal, vertical and diagonal lines on a computer screen.

Priced at a whopping $234,000, the bionic eye might not be affordable to most people with AMD but health experts are hopeful that once the technology has been endorsed, it will provide a permanent solution to millions of people with this eye condition in the coming years.

"Macular degeneration can be a devastating condition and very many people are now affected as we live longer," said Cathy Yelf of the Macular Society explained, as reported by the BBC . "These are early trials, but in time this research may lead to a really useful device for people who lose their central vision."