Smart lenses make spectacles accessible to millions

Spectacles with variable lenses that can be adjusted by a wearer with no access to specialist eye care are being mass produced. Ben van Noort, co-board member and ophthalmologist, points out that Focusspec lenses can only be adjusted between +0.5 to +4.5 dioptre or -1 to -5 dioptre (most people wear...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inSciDev.net - Health
Main Author Berber Rouwé
Format Newspaper Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Oxford 06.10.2009
Subjects
Astigmatism
Eye
Lenses
Afghanistan
Tanzania
Ghana
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Summary:Spectacles with variable lenses that can be adjusted by a wearer with no access to specialist eye care are being mass produced. Ben van Noort, co-board member and ophthalmologist, points out that Focusspec lenses can only be adjusted between +0.5 to +4.5 dioptre or -1 to -5 dioptre (most people wear between -6 and +6) and they are unsuitable for astigmatism. [...]they cannot replace the long-term strategy of educating eye care personnel and creating optical workshops and distribution channels in each community in need".