Artificial retina generates sight
From: R&D Magazine - 07/24/2009

Researchers at five national laboratories, four universities, and an
industrial partner have developed the Artificial Retina, a retinal prosthesis
that can be used to treat age-related macular degeneration and inherited
retinal disorders such as retinitis pigmentosa. The device uses
application-specific integrated circuits to transform digital images from a
camera into electrical signals in the eye that the brain uses to create a
visual image. The system features a video camera and transmitter mounted in
sunglasses, a visual processing unit, and a battery pack to power the device
that is worn on the belt. The retinal implant receives a signal via wireless
transmission, encodes it into specific patterns of stimulation pulses that
are conducted through a cable to the electrode array that stimulates the
retina. The brain perceives the patterns of light spots corresponding to the
stimulated electrodes. In clinical trials, patients with vision loss were
able to identify objects, increase mobility and detect movement. 

Source:
http://www.rdmag.com/Awards/RD-100-Awards/2009/07/Artificial-Retina-Generates-Sight/