Telescope specs make life easier for low vision sufferers

Spectacles with a biotic telescope embedded within the lens promise to make everyday life easier for individuals with low vision, according to a paper published in the May/June 2008 issue of the Journal of Biomedical Sciences.

Eli Peli, MSc, OD of the Schepens Eye Research Institute at Harvard Medical School, Boston, US and colleagues designed the spectacles to replace older versions, which provided only a narrow field of vision and looked unusual, with the biotic mounted on the spectacle frame. By contrast, the new version uses a Keplerian magnifier for a wider field of view and incorporates the biotic into the lens itself, so the wearer does not have to adjust his head to see the magnified view. Instead, a series of spherical and flat mirrors enables the wearer to see both a magnified view and, below it, an unmagnified and unobstructed view simultaneously.

The design of the spectacles means that it is suitable for mass production and that the lens can be adjusted to a user's individual refractive prescription. The team is now seeking a partner to manufacture and distribute the spectacles.