VisionLoss
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Backlit e-readers such as iPad help those with vision loss
A study presented on Sunday at the 116th annual meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology says that tablets with backlit screens, such as the iPad and Kindle Paperwhite, help patients with vision problems due to eye diseases to read quickly and comfortably. In particular, the study points out that the millions suffering from conditions like macular degeneration or diabetic retinopathy can read faster and with more accuracy thanks to the ability to change the text size and increase the contrast between page and text. At present, many people with low vision need to use lighted magnifiers or reading machines to assist them, and those assistive devices slow down reading speed considerably. Patients in the study with the poorest vision who used an iPad set at 18 point font saw an increase in reading speed of 42 percent. The study notes that just about any backlit reader can help low-vision patients achieve similar results. [via MacNN]
Bionic eye closer to human trials with invention of implantable microchip
We've had our eye -- so to speak -- on Bionic Vision Australia (BVA) for sometime, and with the invention of a new implantable microchip it's coming ever closer to getting the bionic eye working on real-deal humans. The tiny chip measures five square millimeters and packs 98 electrodes that stimulate retinal cells to restore vision. Preliminary tests are already underway, and clinicians are in the process of screening human guinea pigs for sampling the implants -- the first full system is still on track for a 2013 debut. In the interest of future success: here's mud in your eye, BVA! Full PR after the break.
Australian researchers unveil bionic eye prototype, implants coming in 2013
We've been hearing about things like bionic eyeballs -- specifically cameras which are implantable into human eyes -- for quite some time now. But it looks like Bionic Vision Australia has actually developed a real, working prototype. BVA, along with researchers at the University of New South Wales, have shown off their advanced prototype of the "eye," which boasts a pair of glasses mounted with a camera, a pocket-mounted CPU, and a wireless electrode chip which must be surgically implanted in the eye. The electrode chip has 98 electrodes which stimulates cells on the optical nerve, resulting in improved vision for those with vision problems resulting from optical nerve problems. Clinical trials are scheduled to begin later this year in Melbourne, with the hope that actual patients will be treated sometime in 2013. Kudos! The full press release is after the break.
