The elusive low vision patient

Abstract

A mobile, head-mounted low vision aid is critically needed for the vision impaired. We report here on a new effort centered around a unique Image Transceiver Device (ITD) combining both functions of imaging and display in a single CMOS chip. The device will allow a compact design of a low vision goggle in which the imager part will capture the input imagery. Following the processing of the latter by a wearable computer, the processed imagery will be generated by the display part of the device and rerouted using appropriate optics, to the healthy part of the subject's retina. The present design of the ITD device is based on a LCOS (Liquid Crystal on Silicon) micro-display and an APS (Active Pixel Sensor) imager technology, in which the front side LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) and the back-illuminated imager are integrated onto a single silicon substrate. The device design effort includes the chip as well as the FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) system controller. In addition to the ITD development, the present effort also includes the studies of the goggle's imaging transfer function modeling, a low vision model, image processing algorithms adapted for this system as well as an optical design study of the low vision goggle.