Zenni Optical launches VR Vision Screener
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LAS VEGAS — Zenni Optical launched the VR Vision Screener, meant to complement a comprehensive eye exam, at Vision Expo West
The technology can provide preliminary screening and refer patients to local eye care practices, the company said in a press release.
Users wear a VR headset, and the VR Vision Screener guides them through a visual assessment lasting about 5 minutes, according to the release.
Steven Lee, OD, MBA, director of digital innovation at Zenni, told Healio that it is important to control the environment in a remote vision screening.
“You don’t need to get the person 10 or 20 feet away, and we’re able to control when eyes are occluded,” he said. “The acuity screener uses a traditional Landolt C. The individual selects what they’re seeing. At the end of the test it lists the nearby eye care providers so they can schedule a comprehensive exam.
“Think about accessibility issues and the good we can do,” he continued. “This can be placed in schools, nursing homes, primary care clinics and lead individuals back to eye care provider offices.”
“Analysts say that within the next 2 years, 20% of U.S. households will have a VR headset,” Brian Persons, head of business development at Zenni, told Healio. “We could identify people who may not even know they need a prescription.”
Lee noted that Zenni worked with scientists at the University of California, Berkeley, to ensure the technology is validated and clinically accurate.
Persons added: “You don’t need a prescription to buy glasses from Zenni — we also offer nonprescription options. However, Zenni doesn’t issue prescriptions, so we aim to collaborate with ECPs to help patients obtain their prescriptions.”
Editor’s note: This article was updated Sept. 23, 2024, to clarify the role of prescriptions in purchasing eye wear from Zenni.
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