Night-vision aid using see-through display for patients with retinitis pigmentosa

Abstract

Purpose: From an early stage, retinitis pigmentosa (RP) patients suffer from night blindness which causes nocturnal mobility difficulties. We created a wearable visual aid that uses a high-performance see-through display, and added a high-sensitivity camera with a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor sensor. Here, we evaluate the device's efficacy for helping night-blindness sufferers walk in the dark.

Study design: Prospective clinical study.

Methods: Twenty-eight subjects underwent binocular visual acuity testing in the dark without (power off) and with (power on) the device. The test was carried out in a darkened room. We recorded the number of trial errors and the time it took each subject to arrive at the goal both with and without the aid of our device.

Results: Our device effectively assists walking in RP patients with mobility problems in the dark.

Conclusion: Binocular visual acuity in the dark was significantly improved with the aid of our device. In the walking test, the number of errors decreased greatly with the device, and the travel time was significantly shortened.

Keywords: night blindness; retinitis pigmentosa; see-through display; visual aids.