Stand magnifiers are frequently dispensed to low vision patients and the aged for eading and other near work. More magnifiers could be dispensed and used with better efficiency with the ergonomic advantages of these new magnifiers. These new magnifiers, developed specifically for the partially sighted, offer a ider field of view, a comfortable viewing angle, and the capacity for reading and iting with the same magnifier. These features and others permit higher reading speeds, onger reading durations, more comfortable use, less fatigue, and greater acceptance and utilization. A prototype has been developed of each of three magnifiers; 1) a spherical mirror magnifier which reads one column wide; 2) a magnifier with a cylindrical mirror which reads one page wide: and 3) a reflecting prism magnifier. We propose in Phase I to make more prototypes of these three magnifiers, perform a study to evaluate their advantages at three independent testing sites, and develop folding and Fresnel versions of each magnifier to make them more compact. In Phase II, the results of the Phase I study will be used to re-design the prototypes with respect to optical and physical parameters, and then develop inexpensive production prototypes to be sold to the partially sighted for reading and writing.
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| Spitzberg, L A; Qi, M (1994) Depth of field of plus lenses and reading telescopes. Optom Vis Sci 71:115-9 |
| Spitzberg, L A; Chen, S (1994) The design of a zoom stand magnifier--a new low vision device. Optom Vis Sci 71:613-8 |
