However, limitations, including a stigmatizing design, device weight, limited field of view, resolution, battery life, and high price, have led to a low demand on the market. Especially, head-mounted display (HMD) systems equipped with forward-looking video cameras offer the user a hands-free format and have been used in low vision rehabilitation for more than two decades 8, 9, 10. Advances in display and image processing techniques allow for various electronic LVAs to aid patients with visual impairment. Patients who fail medical or surgical treatment are provided low vision aids (LVAs) to maximize residual vision and improve the patients’ quality of life 7.Ĭommon LVAs include optical (e.g., hand magnifiers, stand magnifiers, and telescopes), non-optical (e.g., reading stand, typoscopes, and sunglasses), and digital (e.g., closed-circuit television and portable digital magnifiers) devices, which are widely available in handheld and desk-mounted formats. Consequently, low vision can have a significant impact on the patients’ participation in activities of interest, independence, social interactions, quality of life, and ultimately, emotional health 3, 4, 5, 6. The associated vision impairment results in severe difficulty with or inability to perform daily living activities 1, 2. Low vision is a major disability that has a profound impact on both personal and professional aspects. This study suggests that the smartphone-based LVA would be beneficial for visual rehabilitation. The smartphone-based LVA with customizable vision enhancement could provide clinically significant improvements in the visual function of patients with visual impairment and was generally well tolerated. Ocular and non-ocular adverse events were infrequent and resolved when the device was removed. LVQOL scores significantly improved after 4 weeks of use in subjects aged < 40 years ( p = 0.024), but not in subjects aged ≥ 40 years ( p = 0.653). Reading accuracy and facial recognition performance also improved significantly ( p = 0.009 and p < 0.001, respectively), but reading speed did not. Significant improvements in binocular best-corrected distance, intermediate, and near visual acuities were observed after smartphone-based LVA use (all p < 0.001). Thirty-four subjects (mean age, 43.82 ± 15.06 years) completed the study. All subjects also completed the Low Vision Quality of Life (LVQOL) Questionnaire. Visual functions including binocular best-corrected distance, intermediate, and near visual acuities reading performance (reading speed and accuracy) and facial recognition performance were measured at baseline and after 4-weeks use. The subjects completed a training session and were provided a smartphone-based LVA for a 4-week use. We recruited 35 subjects with visual impairment and who were literate and cognitively capable. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of a wearable smartphone-based low vision aid (LVA) with customizable vision enhancement in patients with visual impairment. Real-time digital image processing to optimally enhance low vision is now realizable with recent advances in personal computers.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |