Who would have thought that blind people might be able to see again before deaf people are able to hear again, given how much more complex the eye is compared to the ear.

Researchers in the USA have been given the green light to implant a new 'bionic' eye into 50 - 75 test subjects.

Professor Mark Humayun: "What we are trying to do is take real-time images from a camera and convert them into tiny electrical pulses that would jump-start the otherwise blind eye and allow patients to see".

The trial will run for 2 years and if successful, could be commercially available for round $US30,000. The return on the investment can lead to devices developed with higher resolutions and wider fields of view.

Full story over at BBC news.