A legally blind man from Minnesota who can only see bright lights can now see better -- well enough to see his wife after 10 years of blindness thanks to a prosthetic "bionic" eye.

Allen Zderad from Minneapolis-Saint Paul suffered a degenerative eye disease known a retinitis pigmentosa, an illness with no cure that meant a lifelong visual disability. He managed to keep his woodworking job at home by using his sense of space and touch.

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Aided by his new eye retinal prosthesis, Zderad is now capable of making out the outlines of people and objects and can even see his window reflection.

A Mayo Clinic ophthalmologist, Dr. Raymond Iezzi Junior, said Zderad is a remarkable man considering what he had to hurdle to improve his vision.

Wires from the gadget on the surface of the eye's retina are linked to Zedrad's pair of glasses. A camera fitted at the bridge of the glasses sends images to a tiny computer worn in a waist pack.

These pictures are then taken as visual data to the implant, which in turn processes them, then sends them to the retina and ultimately the brain.

Doctors said Zderad is tapping into what they call artificial vision, adding it's not like any other vision that he's used to.

The device sends 60 of flashes of light but it's enough for Zderad to see objects and scenes, although he won't be able to see the finer points of faces or read. But with the eye prosthetic, Zderad is capable of navigating through crowded spaces without using a cane, dramatically upgrading his quality of life.

Dr. Iezzi is pushing for the expansion of the technology to patients that have lost their vision, such as injured soldiers or patients with glaucoma and advanced diabetes.

Zderad said his vision is crude but significant, declaring "it will work."

He was able to see his whole family again, including 10 grandkids and his wife, Carmen.