Life-changing eye implant helps blind patients read again

A revolutionary eye implant has restored reading ability to blind patients, as demonstrated by a trial at Moorfields Eye Hospital in London. The study, which included 38 participants with geographic atrophy, a severe form of dry age-related macular degeneration, revealed that 27 of the 32 patients who received the implant could read again using their central vision. Sheila Irvine, 70, expressed her delight, stating it was "out of this world" to read and complete crosswords again. The implant, a 2mm-square microchip placed under the retina, works with glasses that have a video camera, sending enhanced images to the brain. The procedure offers hope to over 250,000 people in the UK suffering from this condition.

Consultant ophthalmic surgeon Mahi Muqit hailed the technology as "pioneering and life-changing. " After a year, patients showed an improvement of 25 letters on an eye chart, illustrating the implant's effectiveness. Sheila's experience highlights the transformative potential of this innovation, as she now enjoys reading her post and doing puzzles.