DIGITAL HEALTH + NEUROTECH
Pohang University’s Sae Kwang Han and Do Hee Keum have developed a contact lens/ eyeglass combination to monitor diabetes and dispense drugs as needed. The glasses wirelessly power and communicate with the drug-releasing lens, that monitors glucose concentration in tears. An LED alarm lights up when sugar levels are very high. The lens can be worn for […]
Google has filed a patent for a vision enhancing, injectable smart lens. The “intraocular device” is meant to replace one’s natural lens, and focus light onto the eye’s retina. It is injected into the eye in a solution that congeals and attaches to the lens capsule. It will contain its own storage, and tiny radio components that […]
Toyota’s Project BLAID is a camera based assistive device concept, meant to help the visually impaired identify bathrooms, escalators, stairs, elevators, doors, signs, and logos. The wearable, which is in an early stage of development, is worn on the shoulders, wrapped around the neck, like an electronic scarf. It will be controlled by voice commands, and relay […]
DeepOptics is developing is vision-enhancing wearable lenses, with sensors that gauge viewing distance, and precisely adjust the lenses to bring an object into focus. Electronic volts are sent into three layered liquid crystal lenses, changing the refractive index to provide the specific optical compensation needed to correct vision in every situation. The company also believes […]
Retina Foundation of the Southwest scientists, in a study sponsored by Retrosense Therapeutics, will for the first time use optogenetics — a combination of gene therapy and light to control nerve cells – in an attempt to restore human sight. Previously, optogenetic therapies were only tested on mice and monkeys. Viruses with DNA from light-sensitive algae will […]
Columbia University’s C. Gustavo De Moraes has developed a contact lens sensor that can detect Glaucoma progression by constantly monitoring intraocular pressure. Doctors check eye pressure, but the measurement is not continuous, and not performed at night, when eye pressure typically rises. As eye pressure fluctuates, lens curvature changes. The sensor sends a signal to a wireless […]
Google and others are developing smart contact lenses meant to be the next wave of wearables. To broaden and enhance their capabilities, Drew Evans of the University of South Australia has created a biocompatible, conducting, nanoscale polymer lens coating. Potential applications include visual assistance through electronic displays and noninvasive glucose measurement through sensors. Wearable Tech + […]
OrCam is a disruptive artificial vision company that creates assistive devices for the visually impaired. It is led by Hebrew University professor Amnon Shashua. MyMe, its latest product, uses artificial intelligence to respond to audio and visual information in real-time. A clip on camera and Bluetooth earpiece create what the company calls an “augmented attention” experience, […]
University of Nevada’s Yantao Shen is developing a hand-worn robotic device to help blind and sight impaired people navigate around obstacles, or locate, sense and grasp objects. Examples include picking up a glass or operating a door handle. The technology combines vision, tactile, force, temperature and audio sensors. According to Shen: “The visual sensors, very high […]
Amblyz are programmable LCD glasses that can treat amblyopia (colloquially known as “lazy eye”). Instead of patching, the lens over the affected eye would go dark for a few seconds out of every 30 during the prescribed patching period. As children with amblyopia often have astigmatism or nearsightedness, the glasses simultaneously corrects vision (when not […]