World's 1st bionic eye implant shows hope for age-related blindness

World's first successful bionic eye implant has given hope to millions.

Manchester surgeons carried out the implant in an 80-year-old patient with dry age-related macular degeneration that has led to the total loss of his central vision, the BBC reported.

The patient Ray Flynn can now make out the direction of white lines on a computer screen using the retinal implant.

'Delighted' Flynn said that he hopes in time it would improve his vision sufficiently to help him with day-to-day tasks like gardening and shopping.

The Argus II implant, manufactured by the US firm Second Sight, was earlier used to restore some vision to patients who are blind due to a rare condition known as retinitis pigmentosa.

The operation at Manchester Royal Eye Hospital, is the first time it has been implanted in a patient with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) that affects at least half a million people in the UK to some extent.