Bionic Eye Helps Blind Man See Wife For First Time In 10 Years

The moment a blind man saw his wife for the first time in more than a decade - thanks to a bionic eye - has been captured on video.



Allen Zderad was diagnosed with a degenerative eye disease called retinitis pigmentosa around 20 years ago, leaving him effectively blind for the last 10 years.

Doctors say there is no effective cure for the condition, which means the 68-year-old can only see bright light.

But after having the bionic eye fitted at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota as part of a new clinical trial system called Second Sight, he can now make out shapes and human forms, including his own reflection in the window.

Upon seeing his wife for the first time in more than a decade, the grandfather of 10 and his wife, Carmen, were overcome with emotion.

"It's crude, but it's significant," he said. "It'll work."

A tiny chip was implanted in Mr Zderad's right eye as part of the trial, before the rest of the prosthetic device was attached to glasses and activated two weeks later.

According to the clinic's website, the device works by sending "light wave signals to the optic nerve, bypassing the damaged retina."

Doctors say Mr Zderad's optimistic attitude makes him a perfect candidate for the trial, which they hope to develop further.