Video goggles help VA in amblyopia

A video goggle-based technology called Reviview may help increase visual acuity (VA) in children with amblyopia. The technology is based on the principle that any video content can be transformed into a useful treatment tool for amblyopia.

According to co-inventors Ilan Vadai and Yuval Avni, Reviview incorporates brain stimulation technology designed to improve vision via a set of dedicated video goggles. To improve his or her visual acuity, a child wears the goggles to watch 30 to 60 minutes of their favourite animated television shows per day.

Vadai and Avni both have backgrounds in medical device design; Vadi also has a background in video production.

According to Vadai and Avni, in a study of 16 children aged 4 to 8 years who were provided with prototypes of the device, watching 30 to 60 minutes of their favourite animated television shows led to improvements in VA in 88% of the participants. Improvements after 4 weeks ranged from 1 LogMAR line up to 5 LogMAR lines. The average improvement was 2 lines (±1.7 lines) after 4 weeks and 2.6 lines (±1.5 lines) after 8 weeks.

"Adherence is a major problem with amblyopia treatment routines. With our approach, the fun of the treatment and the fast results contribute to the high level of commitment we see among kids and parents to our unique and patented treatment process," Vadai said.

He added that the goggles could be ready for marketing in about 12 months, and the company is looking for funding to finish the product design and conduct further studies.

For more information go to www.visiortech.com.