New device allows blind patients to read through retinal stimulation

Scientists have hailed the creation of a new implantable device that allows blind patients to read using direct stimulation of the retina.

Manufacturer Second Sight made this breakthrough using the Argus II system, which comprises a small camera mounted on a pair of glasses, a processor to translate the camera signal into electrical stimulation and a microchip with electrodes implanted directly on the retina.

However, in this latest study the team bypassed the camera and was instead able to stream Braille patterns directly into a blind patient's retina, allowing him to accurately read four-letter words.

This shows that the Argus II could be adapted to provide an alternative and potentially faster method of text reading, via the addition of letter recognition software.

Silvestro Micera of the EPFL Center for Neuroprosthetics said: "This study is a proof of concept that points to the importance of clinical experiments involving new neuroprosthetic devices to improve the technology and innovate adaptable solutions."

NHS estimates suggest there are around 360,000 people who are registered as visually impaired in England, with as many as two million across the UK living with some form of this condition.