A blind woman has begun seeing again with a new bionic eye implant.

In what is believed to be a significant scientific breakthrough, the woman, 30, was able to see flashes of coloured light, lines and spots when signals were sent to her brain from a computer.

Scientists at the University of California in Los Angeles had inserted a so-called "wireless visual simulator chip" into the brain of the woman.

She had not seen anything for seven years.

The technology is said to be a possible help to patients suffering glaucoma, cancer, diabetic retinopathy, or trauma.

The woman, who wished to remain anonymous, suffered no significant adverse side effects in the process.

The website reported that the device uses technology to restore sight by bypassing the optic nerve to stimulate the brain’s visual cortex.

UCLA neurosurgeon Nader Pouratian told the website the results of the surgery were promising.

“Based on these results, stimulation of the visual cortex has the potential to restore useful vision to the blind, which is important for independence and improving quality of life,” he said, as reported by RT.

Researchers say the next step was to connect the implant to a camera on a pair of glasses.

The new system goes one step further by sending signals directly to the brain compared to the Argus II retinal system unveiled in Manchester last year, it was reported.