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Portable artificial vision device may improve daily life for patients with low vision

Issue: November 25, 2016

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CHICAGO — A new portable device from OrCam Technologies may provide advantages to subjects with low vision quality that other low vision aids cannot, according to a speaker here.

“The OrCam is effective and can give these people increased functionality. This is very important for people who are missing out on a big part of their lives and miss it. It is very simple to understand, easy to use, reliable, highly portable and has at least some advantages over other low vision aids,” Elad Moisseiev, MD, said at a press briefing at the American Academy of Ophthalmology meeting.

Elad Moisseiev

The hands-free OrCam MyEye clips to a pair of glasses and has a miniature camera “that sees and recognizes what the user is viewing, whether text or a face,” according to a press release from the AAO. The device is activated by the user pointing a finger at an object or text and uses a small-bone conduction earpiece to “read” what it sees to the user.

Moisseiev noted the company did not fund or sponsor his study.

The study included 12 visually impaired patients with baseline corrected visual acuity of 20/200 or worse in their better eye. Each patient was administered a 10-item test while wearing the device after briefly learning how to use it. The patients were given the device and returned after using it for a week to take the same 10-item test, Moisseiev said.

Average test scores improved from 2.5 ± 1.6 out of 10 without the device to 9.5 ± 0.5 out of 10 after the first use of the device. After 1 week of using the device, the average test score was 9.8 ± 0.4 out of 10. – by Robert Linnehan

Reference:

Moisseiev E. A portable artificial vision device is a useful aid for patients with low vision. Presented at: American Academy of Ophthalmology annual meeting; Oct. 14-18, 2016; Chicago.

Disclosure: Moisseiev reports no relevant financial disclosures.