Children with visual impairment are the primary target of this new innovation, the programmable electronic glasses. According to the research presented at AAO 2015, the 119th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, this eye technology helps improve vision in children with lazy eyes - working just like those traditional treatments such as eye patches or medicated drops.
Lazy eye, also called amblyopia, has remained to be the most common cause of visual impairment in children. It is defined as poor vision in an eye that did not develop normally during early childhood. The amblyopic child needs to receive treatment by the age of 8 or so while their eyes and brain are still developing to prevent blindness in the weaker eye.
Unfortunately, it has been a challenge to many parents and ophthalmologists to persuade children to comply with lazy eye treatments as these cause them some discomfort and even social stigma. Medical News Today stated in its report that a recent study found that 1 in 4 children feel anxious before using eye drops, and nearly 15% refuse to take them at all.
On the other hand, this exclusively designed programmable electronic glasses combine vision correction and occlusion. And since the lenses are liquid crystal display (LCD), programmed to turn opaque and occluded vision in the left or right eye for different time intervals lenses, the said digital eye patch can be filled to "fit a child's vision prescription".
Researchers at the Glick Eye Institute at Indiana University recently proved and tested the effectiveness of occlusion glasses in a randomized clinical study.
Lead researcher Dr. Daniel Neely, a pediatric ophthalmology professor at Indiana University, said "With these electronic occlusion glasses, the child learns that the lens will be clear again in just a few seconds so they may be more cooperative with the treatment. For parents who have struggled with drops and patching, this could be a great alternative."
As of this writing, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the Amblyz occlusion glasses as a medical device, which are now available in the country from eye care professionals for around $450.
