Several dozen patients regained some of their vision thanks to an implant inside their eye paired with a set of smart glasses. The study was published Monday in The New England Journal of Medicine, and researchers report that patients could see well enough using the technology to fill out crossword puzzles and read regular books again.

The research focused on patients who’ve lost vision in the center of their eye due to a progressive form of blindness called age-related macular degeneration. The disease cannot be reversed because cells in the center of the patients’ retinas die over time. The study focused on restoring some of that lost vision using a 2-by-2-millimeter device made of tiny photovoltaic solar panels. The device was surgically implanted under the retina in the patient’s eye.

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