Esight is a clinically validated wearable assistive device that enhances vision for people living with eye diseases and disorders that lead to low vision and legal blindness. Now in its fourth version, Esight 4 provides even greater visual clarity as well as a more versatile hardware design to enable unprecedented mobility and all-day use. Furthermore, it incorporates new, advanced cloud-based capabilities and a mobile app, says Brian Beardsley, BAAS, MBA, interim president of Esight.

Robin D. Ross, MD, MPH, CPH, chief medical officer and ophthalmologist at Global Retina Institute in Scottsdale, Arizona, was impressed with Esight because it’s an all-in-one device. “If a patient can navigate a smart phone and isn’t suffering from progressive dementia, they can usually use it successfully,” she says. “Esight offers coaching from visually impaired patients themselves, which is encouraging to my patients.” Another selling point is that patients can try out the platform for a week before purchasing it.

HOW IT WORKS

Esight enables patients with central vision loss to achieve up to 20/20 visual acuity.¹ According to the company, it works by stimulating synaptic nerve activity in the remaining functional photoreceptors in the patient’s eyes to provide increased visual information to the brain.

Images are captured using best-matched camera and lens technology, projecting a superior image onto 2 high-resolution screens (one per eye) for full binocular vision, Beardsley says. Advanced sensors, proprietary algorithms, and powerful processing provide the brain with the highest quality visual information. In doing so, Esight delivers life-changing results for thousands of people with diseases such as macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, and Stargardt disease.¹

Esight was designed to meet the needs of users in an easy-to-use and adaptable manner. The basic features of the zoom and contrast controls are readily accessible via the integrated touch pad on the arms of the device, the included wireless remote, or the smartphone app, Beardsley says. All features are accessible with intuitive menus that provide voice confirmation if desired. How-to videos and instructional resources are also available.

Each Esight user is assigned a coach and has access to 5 hours of coaching. “Coaches ensure that users are familiar and comfortable with all of a device’s features and that they easily achieve their visual goals,” Beardsley says.

REQUIREMENTS FOR USE

Esight is designed to enhance vision for people with central vision loss, with the most common cause being age-related macular degeneration. However, many other conditions affect the retina that may impact central vision, including diabetic retinopathy, Stargardt disease, cone-rod dystrophy, ocular albinism, optic nerve hyperplasia, and retinopathy of prematurity, Beardsley says.

The most common visual acuity range for Esight users is 20/80 to 20/800, although some have visual acuity as low as 20/1400. Beardsley says most patients truly see significant benefit if their vision has declined to 20/80. If a potential Esight user has peripheral vision, can recognize the top letter on an eye-chart, and has 15 degrees of visual field, they are often good candidates, he says.

Anyone with significant peripheral vision loss is not a good candidate. People with significant hand or head tremors are often challenged using Esight as well. Users also need to have the cognitive ability to learn the device’s basic functions.

NEW BELLS AND WHISTLES

New features of the wireless, hands-free device include improved autofocus; advanced controls such as zoom, focus, and contrast; and 2 high-resolution screens for full binocular vision that integrate with a user’s prescription lenses, Beardsley says.

The complete redesign also focused on all-day comfort and use. Esight is lightweight and streamlined, with no weight on the nose. This allows patients to use it for 4 hours at a time. The halo comfort band adjusts to a user’s head-size with an inner lining that feels good on the skin. The battery is placed in the back of the band to balance weight, enabling carefree wearing. The headset fits comfortably over prescription glasses for even greater enhanced vision.

BENEFITS OF USE

In order to validate Esight’s claims, “The Effect of a Head-Mounted Low Vision Device on Visual Function,” also known as “The eQUEST” study,¹ was completed in collaboration with researchers at 6 different low vision research and rehabilitation centers. The study showed that Esight’s low-vision aid was able to improve distance acuity, reading performance, contrast sensitivity, facial recognition, and activities of daily living.

“Users can live independently while conducting their activities of daily living,” Beardsley says. The study also demonstrated significant improvement to patients’ visual function when they used the low-vision aid, including a 7-line gain in distance acuity, 100% mobility retention, and 12-letter contrast improvement.

One of Dr. Ross’s patients who was thrilled with Esight wrote about how the device changed his life: “The overexposed picture in my good left eye is now a clear perfect picture. When I look outside the green junipers are now really green and the sky is true blue! The device also works great for reading emails. I can sit back and actually use the back of my chair and read them in comfort now. I am using the device to cook meals every night — I can read recipes and no longer have to use a magnifying glass. And I can see the TV much better.”

“Emotionally, seeing the faces of friends and family members again for the first time is an incredible experience,” Beardsley says. “Esight users often resume activities that they may have given up due to vision loss.” RP

REFERENCE

1. Wittich W, Lorenzini MC, Markowitz SN, et al. The effect of a head-mounted low vision device on visual function. Optom Vis Sci. 2018;95(9):774-784. doi: 10.1097/OPX.0000000000001262