- Joined
- Nov 16, 2007
- Messages
- 48
- Reaction score
- 0
A few weeks ago I was watching a TV program (I believe it was on The Discovery Channel) that was about a blind woman who had a computer strapped to her back and wires connected to her brain that allowed her to see the shapes of objects. See could not see colors but was able to see that a sailboat was off in the distance.
There is also continuing research going on with artificial retinas that is having some success. Link here, http://www.blindness.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=133:new-model-of-artificial-retina-moves-into-human-studies&catid=68
ther-retinal-diseases&Itemid=124
I was wondering what role do you think optometrists would/do play in developing technologies like this to help the blind see? How much discussion is going on in the optometry organizations about this? Or even in the optometry schools?
In addition to these advancements, there are also very interesting developments going on with contact lenses. Contacts in the future will allow the user to see things in the far distance the way binoculars do today. I have heard that other contacts would provide night vision. Same question here, what role will/do optometrists play in developing these technologies? Link here, http://uwnews.org/uweek/uweekarticle.asp?visitsource=uwkmail&articleID=39100
Students and even OD's frequently talk about the future of optometry. I don't think anyone knows for sure what this career will be like in 20 or 30 years, but could these areas be a part of optometry? I have read Dr. Elder saying that optometrists should separate themselves from ophthalmologists. Is work in these fields is a good way to do that?
I do not want to start a war, but to see if these are potential new areas for optometrists to work in.
There is also continuing research going on with artificial retinas that is having some success. Link here, http://www.blindness.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=133:new-model-of-artificial-retina-moves-into-human-studies&catid=68
ther-retinal-diseases&Itemid=124I was wondering what role do you think optometrists would/do play in developing technologies like this to help the blind see? How much discussion is going on in the optometry organizations about this? Or even in the optometry schools?
In addition to these advancements, there are also very interesting developments going on with contact lenses. Contacts in the future will allow the user to see things in the far distance the way binoculars do today. I have heard that other contacts would provide night vision. Same question here, what role will/do optometrists play in developing these technologies? Link here, http://uwnews.org/uweek/uweekarticle.asp?visitsource=uwkmail&articleID=39100
Students and even OD's frequently talk about the future of optometry. I don't think anyone knows for sure what this career will be like in 20 or 30 years, but could these areas be a part of optometry? I have read Dr. Elder saying that optometrists should separate themselves from ophthalmologists. Is work in these fields is a good way to do that?
I do not want to start a war, but to see if these are potential new areas for optometrists to work in.
