Introduction to a New Technology
It took Glenn Calverley some time to determine he was having a stroke. It just felt like a very bad headache that wouldn’t go away. But then he noticed his vision had modified dramatically and he knew something was seriously flawed. A 12 months and a half later, Calverley, 57, doesn’t see colors well. He sees spots that aren’t there. And there are parts of his peripheral vision — to the left and up — where he can’t see anything in any respect.
The Challenge of Partial Hemianopsia
Calverley suffers from partial hemianopsia, the lack of half the visual field in each eyes, caused not by damage to the attention but to the pathways within the brain that facilitate vision. For example, if the visual fibres of the proper hemisphere of the brain are damaged, peripheral vision is impaired on the left side of each eyes. About 30 per cent of stroke survivors experience some vision loss, based on the American Stroke Association. Until now, the treatments for hemianopsia, akin to using prisms and eye movement training, have been limited. Many patients need to stop working, and even going for a walk could be dangerous because they’ll’t see obstacles on one side.
A New Solution: Mixed Reality Glasses
A University of Alberta team is using mixed reality glasses to partially restore what’s missing for people like Calverley who’ve lost a part of their peripheral vision as a consequence of a stroke or other brain injury. The research team’s latest software allows a head-mounted computer camera to process real-time video of the environment and compress the visual environment into the unaffected visual field. The software works with the Microsoft HoloLens 2 mixed reality glasses, which sell for about C$6,000.
How the Technology Works
Unlike virtual reality glasses, which completely cover your eyes and are for gaming, you’ll be able to see through mixed reality glasses and can even see superimposed images from the camera. The prototype was tested on five patients, including Calverley, who walked a 50 metre course with 4 soft obstacles. Three of the participants without the glasses hit 4 of the obstacles, but just one participant bumped into certainly one of the objects while wearing the glasses. The median rating of how helpful the patients found the glasses was 74.3 out of a possible rating of 100 (extremely helpful).
Impact on Patients
Since having his stroke a 12 months and a half ago, Calverley has done rehab to learn easy methods to move his head around more when he’s walking so he sees a fuller field. He can’t drive his automobile anymore, but he feels he’s adapting well. He found the mixed reality glasses helped, too. “He could tell where my vision was lacking, and by putting stuff in there, it form of made me need to pay more attention to it,” says Calverley, who hit no obstacles in the course of the test.
Future Developments
The research team, led by Edsel Ing, chair of the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, will next search for solutions to other issues some stroke and brain trauma patients face, akin to twisted double vision (torsional diplopia) or consistently shaking vision (nystagmus). Ing worked with computer engineering student Ishaan Roy, who was supervised by Mahdi Tavakoli, professor of electrical and computer engineering. Ophthalmologists Alberto Galvez Ruiz and Imran Jivraj also provided assistance. Research funding was provided by the Royal Alexandra Hospital Foundation and the U of A.
Conclusion
The development of mixed reality glasses for patients with partial hemianopsia is a major breakthrough. As Ing says, “Until we are able to repair brain injury or by some means replace the visual pathway circuits, computer scientists and physicians should proceed to innovate latest solutions to make the lives of stroke and brain injury patients higher.” With this technology, patients like Calverley can regain a few of their independence and confidence, and live more fulfilling lives. The way forward for this technology looks promising, and it’ll be exciting to see the way it develops and improves the lives of those affected by stroke and brain injury.
