Design and clinical evaluation of a smartphone-based low vision enhancement system

Project Summary Visionize has developed a sophisticated wearable state of the art low vision aid by reprogramming a readily available low cost off the shelf Virtual Reality systemThe device operates in three main modesThe patient views the real world with adjustable magnification power and area within the overall sceneThe patient also has access to the full complement of digital media ranging from digital news and email to digital streaming media like Netflix and you tubeThe clinician has diagnostic capability via remote access to patient display and responsesThe device is built from the Samsung Galaxy Sphoneone of the most advanced on the marketinserted into a Samsung Gear VR headsetOn the phone display the low vision user sees an enhanced version of the visual world tuned to specific visual deficitThe goal of this project is to refine the function of the device to a level where it can be successfully deployed to a population of test patients at the Johns Hopkins low vision clinicThen the device will be further refined and enhanced through feedback from the patient populationThe end goal is to develop a low vision aid with superior performance that can be distributed to a large low vision population worldwide at an affordable price PROJECT NARRATIVE The project focuses upon the clinical testingdesign development and implementation of afunction universal low vision device that willallow the patient readview TVsee at theatersports eventsrecognize grandchildrenfind supermarket itemsallow access to all digital media content including news and streaming videoandperform remote clinical testing via internetThe device is built on a Virtual Reality platformreprogrammed for low vision making it widely accessibleinexpensiveand continuously upgradeable to the latest technologyDesign will be followed by full clinical evaluation withtake homedevices