A British man is the first patient to receive a bionic eye that cured his blindness.

Ray Flynn, 80, suffered from age-related macular degeneration (AMD), which is the most common cause for blindness in people over the age of 50. AMD damages the macula, the small spot near the center of the retina which keeps vision sharp and allows us to see straight ahead. AMD begins with a blurred area near the center of vision which grows larger over time, causing a loss of central vision.

Since Flynn was diagnosed eight years ago, his vision steadily deteriorated until he could only see clearly out of the corners of his eyes. In June, he underwent a four-hour procedure at a Manchester hospital.

The Argus II, which was approved by the FDA earlier this year to treat AMD, consists of an implanted retinal prosthesis, a small video camera, a transmitter mounted on a pair of glasses, and a computerized video processing unit worn on the patient's belt.

The video camera captures images and sends them to the computer, which processes information and sends it wirelessly to the implant. The implant stimulates the remaining undamaged cells in the retina and sends electrical currents down the optic nerve, transmitting the visual information to the brain. The patient's brain learns to interpret the signals and convert them into sight.

"Before, when I was looking at a plant in the garden, it was like a honeycomb in the center of my eye," he told Sky News. "That has now disappeared: I can now walk round the garden and see things. It has definitely improved my vision."

There are more than 3 million cases of AMD in the United States every year.