Page 15 - Envision-01-2022

Cover Story

L O W V ISION

“ It is important to be aware of the terrible

visual disorientation that can occur as many
low vision patients also struggle with the
difference between eye movements and
head movements “
Both practitioners love the head-worn
binocular electronic systems for multiple
distances for their patients. One such
wearable is eSight® from Toronto-based
eSight Corporation, which allows
patients to look both at distance and On the other hand, bioptic telescopes,
up close through what are basically prescribed for one or both eyes and
virtual-reality 3D enclosed glasses. available in different power ranges from
Another wearable device is the Vision Ocutech Inc. of Chapel Hill, NC, have
Buddy from the eponymously named two lines of sight with a lot of periphery
TM
company in Dublin, CA. Through a because the telescope is mounted on top
transponder, TV programs can be of a pair of “carrier” prescription glasses.
streamed wirelessly into the VR headset The wearer tilts her head down to look
worn by the patient. When connected through the spectacle-mounted telescope,
to an iPad or iPhone, it can also stream like a rearview mirror in a car, to spot
text from an e-book, YouTube videos, distant details such as school blackboards,
etc. Since proximity is a form of and street signs or traffic signals when
magnification, patients have the ability driving.
to magnify the images even more. And
if they move their eyes from left to right Ocutech’s newest bioptic telescope is
while scanning, the images actually VES-Falcon, with a focusing range from
appear to move. 13 inches to infinity. Ontario recently
Since people cannot walk around joined Manitoba, Quebec, the Northwest
Territories, Nunavut and 45 U.S. states
while using many of these 3D enclosed
wearables, Dr. Ho cautions, “it is
important to be aware of the terrible
visual disorientation that can occur as
many low vision patients also struggle
with the difference between eye
movements and head movements.”

She suggests putting a bean bag on the
patient’s head to stabilize their eye and
head movements. For patients with
Parkinson’s, these wearables won’t work,
she notes. “The higher magnification / VES-Falcon Bioptic Telescope /
and seeing things in great detail are
associated with disproportionate motion
and are unsuitable for people with
motion sensitivity and/or vestibular in permitting bioptic driving, provided
issues.” the driver meets the sight requirement
of 20/50 through the telescopic lens. The
jack-in-the-box phenomenon of getting
in and out of the telescope can be difficult
for patients to learn. Dr. Ho recommends
doing Hart Chart training with bioptic
telescopes to help them get used to the

/ www.ENVISIONMAGAZINE.ca / JANUARY - FEBRUARY 2022 / 13