Optical physics may provide some help
for the vision problems created by macular
degeneration. The
application of optical physics might be helpful to patients in helping them
overcome the visual distortion caused by AMD. “While the key to maintaining eye
health and vision as we age-especially regarding macular degeneration-is having
regular eye exams, there are still a growing number of patients who experience
a disturbing distortion and twisting of their vision resulting from macular
degeneration,” explained Milton Kahn, M.D.
Nobel Laureate Walter Kohn described a
potential application of what is a dynamic “translator” for the particular
distortion a patient experiences either in handheld computers or an optical
corrective lens. “We routinely use the Amsler Grid, a graph-paper-like pattern
to diagnose AMD-Dr. Kohn suggested that the Amsler grid could also be used to
develop an optical correction,” said Dr. Kahn.
When people with healthy eyes look at
the Amsler Grid, they see its straight horizontal and vertical lines, with a
dot at center. Patients with AMD,
however, often perceive a distortion about two or three centimeters in diameter
in the center.
Dr. Kohn has initiated the development
of software that lets an AMD patient, using a mouse, pull the virtual lines
until he or she perceives the grid as “perfect,” yielding reversal of the specific
distortion a person experiences. Dr. Kohn then uses these results to create a
correction for that patient. In one experimental device, a handheld computer
scans the printed page, using software to perform dynamic compensation,
distorting the text to make it readable for patients. In addition, Dr. Kohn
uses of a slab of optical material to fabricate the visual correction so that
AMD patients could hold the optical slab of refractive material over text,
pictures or reading material, just like the magnifying glass people use for
seeing small type—only the surface of Kohn’s slab resembles ocean currents or
waves that reverse the distortion.
“These are very exciting ideas and
offer promise to help us deal with the visual distortion caused by macular
degeneration,” offered Dr. Kahn.
If you have questions or
need an appointment to learn more about macular degeneration and optical
physics please call The Eye Care & Surgery Center at 908-789-8999, visit The Eye Care & Surgery Center or
facebook.com/eyecareandsurgerycenter.
The Eye Care & Surgery Center is a leading New Jersey eye care practice with offices at 592 Springfield Avenue, Westfield, New Jersey 07090, 10 Mountain Boulevard, Warren, New Jersey 07059 and 517 Route One South, Suite 1100, Iselin, New Jersey 08830
.
