WHEN Chris James saw a flash of light for the first time in 22 years, he knew there was a chance he would be able to see again.

As reported in the Adver last week, the 54-year-old, of Wroughton, who was born with a hereditary genetic eye condition known as Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP), was picked to take part in Retina Implant’s second human trial after a rigorous selection process.

A digital chip was implanted in his left eye in an operation that took around 10 hours, and after tuning and testing, Chris started to see light.“As soon as I had this flash in my eye, this confirmed that my optic nerves were functioning properly, which is a really promising sign. It was like someone taking a photo with a flashbulb, a pulsating light. I recognised it instantly,” he said.

“It didn’t scare me. If it hadn’t flashed that would have meant the optic nerves weren’t working and it hadn’t been successful.”

RP is a progressive condition that gets worse over time and leads to blindness. Chris underwent several tests after the microchip was switched on to ascertain the level of feedback it was receiving and to help train him to make sense of this new ‘vision’.

One of the tests involved Chris locating white objects, such as a plate and a cup, on a black background. To help his brain learn again he has to have monthly follow-up testing of his microchip but, in the meantime, he is testing the microchip at home.

“It’s obviously early days but it’s encouraging that I am already able to detect light where previously this would have not been possible for me,” he said. “I’m still getting used to the feedback the chip provides and it will take some time to make sense of this.

“Most of all, I’m really excited to be part of this research but it does take time. I have to train the brain to see again but eventually I hope to be able to see shapes.”

Chris first heard about Retina Implant’s second human trial from an RP Fighting Blindness newsletter.

“After learning more about the research and the technology, I knew I wanted to get involved. Even if I didn’t stand to gain much from this, I liked the idea of contributing to future research and generations.

“I guess I also had nothing to lose in all of this,” he said.

Chris, who is a technical asbestos support officer for Swindon Council, only ever had time off work when he lost his sight completely and had to go on a rehabilitation course in 1989 for a week, when he learnt touch typing, braille and mobility with a cane.

He previously worked with the housing maintenance department at the council, and it worked with the RNIB rehabilitation centre to provide the help for him.

Chris met his wife, Janet, who he has never seen, at the Plough in Chiseldon where she was part of a group taking part in pub games, outings and walks.

Their first date was a drink at the pub and they later got married at the church in Wroughton.

She said: “I was pleased that he took part in the trial – he fitted the bill and the doctors are really pleased with how he has progressed. Like he says, he had nothing to lose by taking part so he went for it.”

The UK trial is to include 12 patients in total and is being led in Oxford by Professor Robert MacLaren, professor of ophthalmology at the University of Oxford and a consultant retinal surgeon at the Oxford Eye Hospital, and in London by Tim Jackson, a consultant retinal surgeon at King’s College Hospital and senior clinical lecturer at King’s College London.

Professor MacLaren said: “We are excited to be involved in this pioneering subretinal implant technology and to announce the first patients implanted in the UK were successful.

“The visual results of these patients exceeded our expectations. This technology represents a genuinely exciting development and is an import step forward in our attempts to offer people with RP a better quality of life.”