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Assistive Low Vision Aid for Aged-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) Patients

Country of Origin: Singapore
Reference Number: TOSG20160929001
Publication Date: 23 November 2016

Summary

A Singapore group of public healthcare institutions has developed an automated low vision aid system for Aged-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) patients. This system will capture real-time video image from the user’s perspective and enhance them based on the patient’s needs which includes the eccentric fixation, distortion correction, magnification, and enhancement.

The organization is seeking license/technology and research cooperation with partners of any type from the healthcare industry.

Description

Aged-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) is a common degenerative condition of aging that causes damage to the macula and affects central vision resulting in low vision. 



Patients with AMD may have symptoms such as blurred vision or visual distortion. Assistive low vision aid (ALVA), an automated low vision aid system is proposed to automatically capture real time video image from the user’s perspective and enhance them based on the patient’s needs. 



This technology aims to overcome the limitation of current low vision aids. It provides patients with automatic assistance in eccentric fixation, distortion correction, vision enhancement and magnification. Current state-of-the-arts devices are usually implanted into the eyeballs or of fixed magnification. The ability to response to change is minimal. ALVA allows the users to control its various aspect using voice commands. Features such as eccentric fixation and distortion correction are not available in the market.



The various technology features of ALVA are as follows:



• Able to capture real time video image from user’s perspective and enhance them based on the user’s needs

• Adjustable level of magnification

• Ability to remove distortions

• Use of voice commands to operate the tool

• Automatic image enhancement



One important invention of ALVA is its ability to provide augmented-reality guidance to patients with low vision. Transparent LCD will be used for the lens of eye gear, so as to allow patients to see the real object of interest and at the same time, the augmented layers.



The Singapore group of public healthcare institutions is seeking partnerships with industry partners such as SMEs, MNEs, universities or R&D institutions that are interested to explore the following:



- Research cooperation agreement

- Services agreement

- Commercial agreement with technical assistance 

- Joint venture agreement

- Technical cooperation agreement

Advantages and Innovations

This technology can be employed to improve the quality of life for patients with low vision. ALVA provides more features than current visual aids that focus mainly on magnification. The visual distortion and eccentric fixation profile of every user is unique. Depending on the profile of the patients, ALVA can be marketed as a customized visual aid.



The state-of-the-arts vision aids are mainly focused on magnification either implanted or hand-held with a fixed magnification. ALVA provides flexible magnification and other features not available such as: eccentric fixation, distortion correction and vision enhancement. ALVA can be used as a portable device to enhance the visual capability for low vision users.

Stage Of Development

Under development/lab tested

Requested partner

The types of partners sought include:

- SMEs of any sizes

- >500

- >500 MNE

- 251-500

- University

- Inventor

- R&D Institution



The types of partnerships considered include:

- Research cooperation agreement

- Services agreement

- Commercial agreement with technical assistance 

- Joint venture agreement

- Technical cooperation agreement





The role of the partner would be to either commercialise the technology to bring to market or to further develop this technology to meet the demand-driven needs of the addressable market.