Eyeglasses with embedded telescopes
The woman above left is wearing bioptics, tiny Galilean telescopes mounted on eyeglasses that help some visually impaired people see well enough to drive cars. The problem is, many folks aren't comfortable with the way bioptics look, and they also make eye contact difficult. Researchers from Harvard's Schepens Eye Research Institute are hoping to solve those problems and others with eyeglasses that have much smaller Keplerian telescopes embedded right in the lenses (above right). From a press release:
“This new design has several advantages,” says the inventor of the glasses, Dr. Eli Peli , who is a senior scientist at Schepens Eye Research Institute, a professor at Harvard Medical School, a low vision expert, and the senior author of the paper. “One major advantage is the appearance of the glasses. Because they look almost like normal everyday spectacles, it is more likely that visually impaired people will use them,” says Peli, who adds that the glasses are easier to use than existing telescope models because of a wider magnified view and easier access to that view. Most importantly, shifting the magnified view up leaves the unmagnified view of the road unobstructed, which is important for safety and facilitates navigation...Telescopes embedded in eyeglasses (Schepens Eye Research Institute)
Not only will the new glasses improve the cosmetics and usefulness of this type of device, the in-the-lens design will make it possible to mass-produce the telescopic magnifier as a standard spectacle lens blank and allow an individual’s prescription to be added using the standard procedure for grinding regular spectacle lenses. This process should also reduce the price of bioptic telescopes.
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Well, I will say that it would be uncomfortable conversing with the lady on the left. The glasses on the right are a big improvement.
This looks like a good advance, especially if it reduces the weight and improves the reliability and reparability, and lowers the cost. The bioptic I own cost me $2400, out of pocket, and even though I haven't been able to use it to drive yet, I've already had to take it in for repairs, because the Arizona heat warped the lenses.
The one I have doesn't reduce visibility, though, since the telescope is mounted on the top of the glasses. To look through the telescope, you have to drop your chin and zoom in. Of course, this means you have a second or two where you're only reading, and not looking at the road. Bioptic training focuses heavily on keeping the telescope time down to two seconds, but to be honest, I don't know if I'm going to be comfortable with even that.
I've know a couple people with impaired vision who use a small, handheld telescope at, say, conferences to read the Powerpoint. I wonder if this would help them as well.
Wearing a bioptic is great for seeing but really sucks when it comes to being comfortable, both physically and emotionally. It's great to get the added distance vision, but my bioptic feels like six pounds resting on the bridge of my nose, and it just makes you feel like a goober when people gawk at you.
I've been legally blind for thirty two years now, and this is just the sort of thing that I've had dreams about. Seems almost too good to be true.
A friend of my mothers has a miniature Galilean telescope implanted in her left eye, you can see it glint in the right angle. Very nifty and it does impart partial sight to an otherwise blind woman.
I hope this helps a lot of people.
The other day I came across thie line from Ian Fleming's "Diamonds Are Forever" (not the best of the Bond novels, IMO):
"That guy's so loaded he don't wear glasses when he drives. Has the windshield of his Cadillacs ground to his prescription."
(Bond's friend Felix talking)
I've looked into Trufocals - http://trufocals.com/
much better looking, IMHO - decent price point..
Did Steve Martin patent it?
...Hell, I remember when Liquid Crystals were the supposed "next big thing" in optical correction. We were supposed to have glasses that could be adjusted for focus, distance *and* UV protection, using both battery and solar power collected from cells on the frames. If your eyes got worse, you simply adjusted the lenses manually until you could see clear again.
[thinks]
...Ok, *that's* what happened to them. The goddamn optometrists put the kibosh on them, just like they've been trying to do for years with LASIC and RK. Don't cure the patient, because you can make more money treating them indefinately!
Telescopic lenses on my glasses. Great! But US$2400 is a just a bit too expensive for me. When can I get them for $10. Well, OK, maybe $100.
BTW: you don't need to install it on both eyes. One is enough. Years ago, when I was wearing contacts, I always put on only one.
Don't Keplerian telescopes invert the image?