The device includes a camera linked to a computer chip embedded in the eye to relay images to the brain, according to US researchers.

Professor Gislin Dagnelie of Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, who designed the device, reported his invention at the Royal National Institute for the Blind´s Vision 2005 conference in London on Monday.

The bionic eye has managed to produce only dots or rows of dots, but it is hoped developments within the next five years will enable people to recognize doors and walls and ultimately learn to differentiate between familiar faces.

Professor Dagnelie said the quality of the images produced should improve over time.

It is still unclear how many blind or partially sighted people will benefit from the new system, but Prof Dagnelie said it was unlikely to help adults who had been blind from birth, as their brains would probably not recognize the images produced.

By: Prensa-Latina