Vision and Reading Aids
Ellen Knutson
LIS450NL
September 13, 2001
The ability to see text whether on a page or a computer screen has long been necessary to be fully literate in society. While there have been many assistive technologies that work around the loss of vision, these timeline entries look at a few of the instantces where vision itself was sought to be improved.
1000 A.D. Invention of the Reading Stone
"Around1000 A. D. the reading stone, what we know as a magnifyingglass, was developed. It was
a segment of a glass sphere that could be laid against reading material to magnify the letters. It
enabled presbyopic monks to read and was probably the first reading aid." R. Dwery It would be nearly 300 more years before lenses
were crafted that could be held in frames in front of the eye rather than on top of the reading material.
2000 A.D. First Bionic Eyes
On June 28, 2000 the first artificial retnas were implanted in the eyes of three blind patients. The Atificial Silicon Retina, invented by Dr. Alan Chow and Vincent Chow, "contains approximately 3,500 microscopic solar cells
that convert light into electrical impulses. The purpose of the
chip is to replace damaged photoreceptors, the “light-sensing”
cells of the eye, which normally convert light into electrical
signals within the retina." Optobionics Press Release The ASR therefore restores the sight of individuals who were blind due to a degraded yet partially functioning retina.
2050 A.D. Organic Artificial Eye
Fifty years since the first artificial retina was implanted in patients, doctors have now implanted the first organic artificial
retina grown from human stem cells. This breakthrough means that even individuals whose retina is totally degraded will be able to regain vision. Scientist say they are still working to perfect an artificial optical nerve.