Miikka Terho, a Fiinish man who has an inherited form of blindness, has had success in identifying objects presented in front of him. Miikka was able to identify the letters of his name and a clock face. This was all down to a tiny chip implanted in his retina, which seems to be an improvement from previous methods, as it allows the blind person to use their own eye and not an external camera like other methods. The chip works by turning light entering the eye into electrical impulses and sending them to the brain, via the optic nerve.

As reported by the BBC, Retina Implant AG, a private company that fits the chips, and Professor Eberhart Krenner of Germany’s University of Tuebingen, worked to install the chips in 11 patients. There were mixed results – for some patients, their condition was too far advanced and they noticed no improvement. However, the majority could pick out bright lights.

The condition which many of the patients were suffering from is called retinitis pigmentosa, or RP. Another patient was suffering from a condition called choroideraemia. Both conditions lead to a degeneration of the cells inside the eye’s retina.

The best results came from Mr. Terho, who, with the treatment was able to walk around the room unaided, to differentiate between several shades of grey, and to approach people.

 The work is also being carried out by an American firm who have a similar idea, although they require the patient to wear a camera on a pair of glasses. Overall the work has been applauded by many, however the chip only works to help give signals to the patient about what is in front of them, thus giving them a chance to interpret it, and does not actually restore the eye to its pre-damaged level.