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Low Vision News and Products
(2008 and 2009)

Developing Anti-Collision Eyeglasses for People With Tunnel Vision

BOSTON, October 2009 — For people with tunnel vision, collisions with objects and other people outside their central visual field are a constant worry. The potential for trips and dangerous falls is high as well.

Tunnel vision is caused by eye diseases such as glaucoma and retinitis pigmentosa, which gradually erode peripheral vision.

Schepens Eye Research Institute conducted a study of both normally sighted people and tunnel vision patients, who wore a pair of glasses with a transparent computer display, a tiny camera and a small computer.

Top: The augmented-vision head-mounted display system was studied in a virtual mall environment. Bottom: The person and trash bin that are outside the wearer's tunnel vision are outlined in the center, so a collision can be avoided.

While wearing the glasses, participants were asked to judge potential collisions while "walking" through a virtual mall displayed on a screen.

The transparent display in the glasses shows not only the scene as it appears naturally in front of someone, but also a superimposed minified outline version of a wider visual field. The computer updates the outline information 30 times per second.

The purpose of the recent study was to determine whether the minified, distorted view that the outline provides is useful enough to help people avoid collisions. Even without adaptation or training, all the study participants were indeed able to make judgments as good as those made while looking at obstacles with natural vision.

Researcher Gang Luo, PhD, said that the next step is to refine the device further and see how well it works in daily life.

Invented by Eli Peli, MSc, OD, the glasses could replace or supplement the long canes that many people with tunnel vision use to search out obstacles in front of them.

The study results were published in the September issue of Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science.

Please click here for closeup photos.

Bright Star Can Make Your World Brighter and Clearer

CHERRY HILL, N.J., July 2009 — Bright Star LED Portable systems offer combinations of bright, direct, LED light with magnifiers.

The magnifiers come in loupe or clip-on form.

You can wear them clipped to your eyeglasses or safety glasses (the clip-on loupe is shown here); or you can wear them with the available cushioned headband.

The headsets have dual pivot points and an on/off switch.

They are powered by AAA rechargeable batteries or an eight-hour lithium-ion rechargeable battery pack.

The clip-on magnifiers are light in weight and attach to your eyewear with a coated clip; they have a clip-on battery case.

Both loupes and clip-on magnifiers are available in +1.50, +2.00 or +3.00 diopters and are distributed by Tech Optics International.

Please click here for a closeup photo.

New Freedom Machine Offers High Definition With No Glare

ST. LOUIS, April 2009 — The newly released Freedom Machine by Vision Technology delivers sophisticated features with unsophisticated usability.

Available in 17- to 26-inch monitors, the Freedom Machine provides High Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) technology and a no-glare glass optic system. The 2X to 100X magnification range and auto-focus technology ensure a crisp picture from corner to corner.

Just 1.5 inches above the surface of your desk, the reading table allows you to slide objects onto it smoothly. The control panel features color-coded knobs for simple magnification; and the soft-touch knob, located on the arm, adjusts the monitor's angle for effective ergonomics.

Made of solid-precision-polyurethane, the Freedom Machine is light and durable. Setup is as simple as plugging it in — no extra wires or assembly required.

Please click here for a closeup photo of the Freedom Machine.

Desktop Video Magnifier Integrates With School, Office Environments

VISTA, Calif., March 2009 — Optelec U.S. has introduced a new-generation desktop video magnifier, the ClearView+G2, which can integrate into home, school or office environments.

Improvements to the basic desktop design include greater ease of use, along with enhanced ergonomics and image quality in the viewing screen. Upgrades also include auto zoom, an extremely flexible arm with both 19 inch and 22 inch configurations and highly flexible turning capability.

Zoom features in the magnifier range from 2.5X to 65X, with high-definition (HD) quality video. Please click here for a closeup photo of the ClearView+G2.

Other new or improved Optelec devices introduced in 2009 include the portable FarView video magnifier, with up to 90X zoom and an autofocus camera with the ability to store up to 100 images. The device weighs only 10.2 ounces and has computer and video screen connections. Please click here for a photo of the FarView video magnifier.

The Optelec ClearNote Portable video magnifier also can connect to video screens and laptop computers. The hand-carried, battery-operated device has up to 18X zoom and contains an auto-adjustment camera as well as remote control. Please click here for a photo of the ClearNote Portable video magnifier.

Acrobat LCD Includes Video Magnifier

HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif., December 2008 — Seven viewing modes provide exceptional versatility to users of the Acrobat LCD, which includes a video magnifier and computer screen.

As part of the system, a detachable camera that rotates 340 degrees in any direction sits on a "swivel" arm atop a 19-inch video monitor.

You can rotate the camera to focus on any object you want magnified, including your face for activities such as applying makeup.

Features include:

• Automatic focus on the targeted object.
• "Memory" settings for each mode used.
• Magnification capability of up to 65x.
• Dual keypad with easy access to controls.

You can also order accessories, including a remote control and rolling carrying case.

The Acrobat LCD has a two-year warranty and is manufactured by Enhanced Vision, Inc.

Cocoons Lenses Improve Contrast Vision

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif., September 2008 — Live Eyewear has introduced four lens tints specifically designed to help improve contrast and visual acuity for people with low vision. Worn over regular prescription eyeglasses, these Low Vision Cocoons are available in six sizes from small to extra large aviator styles — all with black frames.

Four tints specifically aimed at improving low vision include boysenberry to help reduce glare, hazelnut to heighten contrast vision both indoors and outdoors, lemon to maximize brightness and improve visual acuity and orange to intensify backgrounds and improve clarity of objects seen.

Some lens tints also provide protection against potentially damaging blue light, with hazelnut blocking 98 percent, lemon 40 percent and orange 100 percent.

All Cocoons lenses provide 100 percent UV protection and have a one-year scratch-resistance warranty. These non-polarized lenses are made of distortion-free, durable polycarbonate.

Please click here for closeup photos of this line.

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[Page updated January 2011]