An electronic microchip from Retina Implant AG is a silicon chip about 3 x 3 mm in size and 70-µm thick, with 1500 individual pixels. Each of these pixel cells contains a light-sensitive photodiode, a logarithmic differential amplifier, and an iridium electrode into which the electrical stimuli at the retina are guided. Subretinal stimulation permits visual recognition of patterns and letters of the alphabet. Electronic retinal implants such as this one can give very useful visual perceptions to the blind.

After having an electronic microchip from Retina Implant AG implanted behind the eye, test subject Mikka is able to distinguish between a banana and an apple thereby proving the ability of the implant to restore the ability to recognize shapes.

After having an electronic microchip from Retina Implant AG implanted behind the eye, test subject Mikka points out a spelling error in his own name. Mikka suffers from hereditary retinal degeneration (retinitis pigmentosa), which results in a progressive loss of photoreceptors and in most cases leads to a complete loss of vision.