, RETINA. NOW EVERYONE’S WAITING TO SEE IF , IT WORKS. UPMC EYE SURGEON DR. JOSEPH MARTEL WALKS ME THROUGH HOW MACULAR DEGENERATION LEADS TO VISION LOSS. >> AS THE DISEASE PROGRESSES AND REACHES MORE OF THE END STAGE, YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO SEE ANY OF THIS. THIS WILL ALL BE BLACKED OUT. SHANNON: HE IS THE ONE WHO IMPLANTED THE CHIP INTO THE FIRST PATIENT OF THE COUNTR HE SAYS 5% OF THE 15 MILLION AMERICANS DIAGNOSED WITH AGE RELATED MACULAR DEGENERATION EVERY YEAR WILL HAVE SIGNIFICANT VISION LOSS MAKING IT HARD TO , EVEN WALK AROUND THEIR OWN HOME. >> ELDERLY PEOPLE ARE QUITE CLOSE WITH THEIR FAMILIES AND HAVING THE IDEA OF NOT BEING ABLE TO SEE THEIR LOVED ONES IS VERY DISTRESSING FOR THEM. SHANNON: SEE IF YOU CAN FOLLOW HOW THE NEW BIONIC RETINA WORKS. PATIENTS WEAR SPECIAL GLASSES WITH A TINY VIDEO CAMERA. THE CAMERA SENDS IMAGES TO A POCKET COMPUTER WORN BY THE PATIENT. >> THEN RELAYS THE MESSAGE BACK TO THE GLASSES WHERE IT’S PROCESSED IN T GLASSES TO A PROJECTOR WHICH IS EMBEDDED IN , THE GLASSES THAT SHINES A PULSE PATTERNED INFRARED LIGHT THAT COMMUNICATES WITH THE CHIP THAT WE’VE IMPLANTED UNDER THE RETINA. SHANNON: AND THAT HAPPENED -- >> INSTANTANEOUSLY. SHANNON: DID YOU GET THAT? I DIDN’T EITHER AT FIRST. IN A -- EITHER AT FIRST. IN A NUTSHELL THE SPECIAL , GLASSES TALK TO A COMPUTER THAT PROCESSES IMAGES AND SENDS THEM BACK TO THAT TINY CHIP SURGICALLY SEALED IN THE EYE. THE FIRST PATIENT IS STILL RECOVERING AND WILL UNDERGO INTENSE THERAPY TO GET USED TO THE GLASSES. DOCTORS AND THAT PATIENT EAGER TO LEARN THE OUTCOME >> I’M VERY OPTIMISTIC I THINK -- I AM VERY OPTIMISTIC ABOUT THIS TREATMENT. I THINK THIS IS THE FUTURE FOR PATIENTS WITH SEVERE LOSS OF VISION. SHANNON: DOCTORS DON’T EXPECT THE NEW RETINAL DEVICE TO COMPLETELY RESTORE VISION. IT IS DESIGNED TO HELP PATIENT GET BACK SOME INDEPENDENCE MOVING AROUND THE HOUSE WHILE , AVOIDING FAL