In-the-lens Embedded Bioptic Telescope

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Bioptic telescopes are the most successful and effective visual aid for distance vision. This proposed project will demonstrate a new approach to designing bioptic low vision telescopes. By using mirrors to fold the optical path into the eyeglass lens, all the elements necessary to provide magnification can be incorporated into the carrier lens, resulting in a compact and unobtrusive device. This addresses the objections many patients have to using conventional bioptic telescopes, which protrude from the lens. Such telescopes and not only have a strange appearance but also interfere with normal social interaction. An additional advantage of the new configuration is that the telescope optical axis can easily be tilted to present the magnified view simultaneously with the unmagnified view of the same scene, a concept called 'Simulvision'. This may offer a significant improvement to the ability of users to place the image in context, which may in turn enable users to adapt to this design who were unsuccessful with the conventional design. A telescope in the lens may have other market ranging from police and military to sport and theater audiences.