The Centre for Eye and Vision Research (CEVR) and the Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute (ASTRI) have partnered to create at least two initiatives that will help patients of various ages who suffer from lazy eye and other eye disorders. The Innovation and Technology Commission’s platform for research and innovation, InnoHK, served as the foundation for CEVR.
Amblyopia is a common visual impairment that impairs depth perception and vision. The brain needs to be retrained to use data from both eyes in order to treat this problem. Since neuroplasticity declines with aging and the brain also fully matures as we get older, this is particularly difficult to accomplish in patients who are adults.
As part of this ground-breaking partnership, cutting-edge treatment approaches will be created using AR technology from ASTRI and visual brain neuroplasticity restoration research from CEVR. The ultimate objective is to “cure” the patients’ eyes and offer them hope that they might be able to see once more.
ASTRI’s CEO emphasized that digital healthcare is a core area of research for ASTRI. This relationship is extremely significant since it will enable CEVR and InnoHK to work together to treat many patients with eye disorders and correct their eyesight through the agency’s ‘Health@InnoHK program.
The reduced vision that cannot be improved with the use of glasses, contacts, surgery, or other medical procedures is referred to as vision loss or visual impairment. The two main categories of vision loss are central loss and peripheral loss. Patients may have one sort of loss or both.
Patients with central loss frequently struggle to read, recognize faces, and distinguish little features. Patients with peripheral loss frequently struggle to maneuver through crowded spaces and see impediments on the floor and sides. Everyone reacts to vision loss and the effects it has on their lives in different ways. In Hong Kong, ASTRI and CEVR will work together to further the creation of a navigation system for those who are blind.
The problems of daily life are numerous for those with vision impairment. Moving safely through various environments, such as community centers, shopping malls, and healthcare facilities, continues to present a significant challenge, significantly affecting social interactions, wellness, and general quality of life. People with visual impairment may benefit from walking canes, guide dogs, and mobility training.
The Centre for Eye and Vision Research (CEVR) and the Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Institute (ASTRI) will collaborate to create a comprehensive navigation system for people with vision impairments. This system will remove mobility barriers for people with impairments and significantly improve their well-being.
ASTRI is still dedicated to advancing technical R&D in Hong Kong and collaborating with numerous organizations and businesses to create cutting-edge technology. As a result of the partnership between ASTRI and CEVR, people with visual impairments in Hong Kong may live better lives thanks to navigation technology and solutions that are immediately applicable to the digital health sector thanks to ASTRI’s IT competence. According to the CEO and Scientific Director of CEVR, at least 2.2 billion people worldwide suffer from a near- or distance visual impairment.
Vision impairment was either preventable in nearly half of these situations or has not yet been treated. Leading academics from the University of Waterloo in Canada and the Hong Kong Polytechnic University come together at CEVR to work together synergistically, progress research, and improve eye health and treatment. By collaborating with ASTRI, it is hoped that AR technologies would help lazy eye sufferers strengthen their 3D vision skills, hence enhancing their overall eye health.
