StemCell Therapy

A bionic eye could restore sight to the blind and greatly improve robotic vision, but current visual sensors are a long way from the impressive attributes of natures design. Now researchers have found a way to mimic its structure and create an artificial eye that reproduces many of its capabilities.

A key part of what makes the eyes design so powerful is its shape, but this is also one of the hardestthings to mimic. The concave shape of the retinathe photoreceptor-laden layer of tissue at the back of the eyemakes it possible to pick up much more light as it passes through the curved lens than it would pick up if it was flat. But replicating this curved sensor array has proven difficult.

Most previous approaches have relied on fabricating photosensors on flat surfaces before folding them or transplanting them onto curved ones. The problem with this approach is that it limits the density of photosensors, and therefore the resolution of the bionic eye, because space needs to be left between sensors to allow the transformation from flat to curved.

In a paper published last week in Nature, though, researchers from Hong Kong University of Science and Technology devised a way to build photosensors directly into a hemispherical artificial retina. This enabled them to create a device that can mimic the wide field of view, responsiveness, and resolution of the human eye.

The structural mimicry of Gu and colleagues artificial eye is certainly impressive, but what makes it truly stand out from previously reported devices is that many of its sensory capabilities compare favorably with those of its natural counterpart, writes Hongrui Jiang, an engineer at the University of Wisconsin Madison, in a perspective in Nature.

Key to the breakthrough was an ingenious way of implanting photosensors into a dome-shaped artificial retina. The team created a hemisphere of aluminum oxide peppered with densely-packed nanoscale pores. They then used vapor deposition to grow nanowires inside these pores made from perovskite, a type of photosensitive compound used in solar cells.

These nanowires act as the artificial equivalent of photoreceptors. When light passes over them, they transmit electrical signals that are picked up by liquid metal wires attached to the back of the retina. The researchers created another hemisphere made out of aluminum with a lens in the center to act as the front of the eye, and filled the space in between it and the retina with an ionic liquid designed to mimic the fluid aqueous humor that makes up the bulk of the human eye.

The researchers then hooked up the bionic eye to a computer and demonstrated that it could recognize a series of letters. While the artificial eye couldnt quite achieve the 130-degree field of view of a human eye, it managed 100 degrees, which is a considerable improvement over the roughly 70 degrees a flat sensor can achieve.

In other areas, though, the approach has the potential to improve on biological eyes. The researchers discovered that the nanowires photodetectors were actually considerably more responsive. They were activated in as little as 19.2 milliseconds and recovered to a point where they could be activated again in 23.9 milliseconds. Response and recovery times in human photoreceptors range from 40 to 150milliseconds.

The density of nanowires in the artificial retina is also more than 10 times that of photoreceptors in the human eye, suggesting that the technology could ultimately achieve far higher resolution than nature.

The big limitation at the moment is wiring up these photosensors. The liquid metal connections are currently two orders of magnitude wider than the nanowires, so each one connects to many photosensors, and its only possible to attach 100 wires to the back of the retina. That means that despite the density of photosensors, the eye has a resolution of only 100 pixels.

The researchers did devise a way to use magnetic fields to connect nickel microneedles to just three nanowires at a time, but the process is a complicated manual one that would be impossible to scale up to the millions of nanowires present in the artificial retina. Still, the device represents a promising proof-of-concept that suggests that we may soon be able to replicate and even better one of natures most exquisite designs.

Given these advances, it seems feasible that we might witness the wide use of artificial and bionic eyes in daily life within the next decade, writes Jiang.

Image Credit: Free-Photos from Pixabay

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A New Bionic Eye Could Give Robots and the Blind 20/20 Vision - Singularity Hub

But I started having blurry vision, and it turned out it was because that freckle had started to grow across my pupil.

Diagnosed in 2005 at the age of 37, Ms Vine said the time after her diagnosis was a blur just like her vision before she was rushed for emergency surgery to have her eye removed.

An example of a uveal or eye melanoma forming on the iris.Credit:QIMR Berghofer

When I was diagnosed, I cried for days, she said.

It was devastating. I had two young children, it was a blur, I just went to scans and follow-ups and then before I knew it, surgery.

About 175 new cases of eye melanoma are diagnosed in Australia annually.

Ocular melanomas are more commonly found in the back of the eye and those found there often have worse outcomes for patients as they can spread quickly to other areas of the body, especially the brain.

Many patients will lose their sight in the affected eye as part of the treatment, which can involve radiation and laser therapy for small cancers, or removal of the eye for more advanced tumours.

Ms Vine was one of the 50 per cent of cases who do not see any subsequent cancers, and has remained cancer-free.

She agreed to be part of a new study at QIMR Berghofer medical research institute in an effort to find out more about the rare but deadly forms of cancer.

Previously it was thought that unlike skin melanomas, which are significantly affected by UV rays, eye melanomas were not affected by sunlight.

However, research from QIMR has found about 5 percent of ocular melanomas, mostly iris melanomas like Ms Vines, are at least partially caused by sunlight exposure.

QIMR ophthalmologist Dr Lindsay McGrath said that meant treatments which were previously thought to be ineffective against eye melanomas could be brought to bear.

Some of the immunotherapies which have been developed for skin melanomas might play more of a role in uveal melanoma which has spread outside the eye, Dr McGrath said.

At the moment we have no treatment for eye melanomas which spread beyond the eye, and patients have to get involved in clinical trials just for a chance at a treatment.

The researchers also discovered a common anti-cancer gene called TP53 was switched off in uveal melanomas, which has highlighted a further avenue for possible treatment in the future.

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The findings emphasise the importance of wearing UV-blocking sunglasses, Dr McGrath said.

Ms Vine said she hoped the research would allow other people to keep their eyes and their sight as new treatments are developed in the future.

People dont think about getting their eyes checked if they dont wear glasses, but it can save your life, she said.

Stuart Layt covers health, science and technology for the Brisbane Times. He was formerly the Queensland political reporter for AAP.

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In two weeks, Susan went from blurred vision to having an eye removed - Brisbane Times

A team of scientists at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology have developed an artificial eye that could someday help cure blindness or even enhance human vision. For now, their creation boasts just 100-pixel resolution, but the groundwork has been laid.

The team, led by Leilei Gu, describe their creation in a paper published yesterday in the journal Nature. In that paper, Gu et al. describe an electrochemical eye with a hemispherical retina made of a high-density array of nanowires [that mimic] the photoreceptors on a human retina.

Build to be structurally similar to a real human eye, the spherical cyborg eye uses a 100 FOV lens (the human eye boasts a 130 FOV) to focus light onto a 2mm-wide area that features a densely packed array of photosensitive nanowires in lieu of the rods and cones in our own eyes. Just like in the human eye, the light travels through a space filled with, in this case, an ionic fluid before activating those photoreceptors and sending a signal further down the pipe using thin, flexible wires made of a liquid metal (eutectic galliumindium alloy) in lieu of nerve fibers.

Most impressive is that even the current prototype can match or even surpass the human eye in certain respects. According to a news report in Nature, the sensitivity to light of the artificial retina is already on par with the human eye, and the nanowires responsiveness is actually fasterthey can produce a response in 19.2ms and recover in as little as 23.9ms, compared to the 40-150ms response and recovery times of photo receptors in the human eye.

Where it falls (far) short is in overall resolution. Each pixel is made up of four nanowires, and the current version only boasts a 10 x 10 pixel resolution in that tiny 2mm-wide array. The nanowires themselves are tiny, but the liquid metal nerves are still too big. Manufacturing the current version is both expensive and slow, and the actual resilience of this design needs to be tested to determined how quickly the artificial retina breaks down. Finally, the current version needs external power, though scientists say this design could someday be solar powered.

Knowing all of this, were obviously a ways away from curing blindness with cyborg eyes, much less improving on human vision with eye upgrades that could extend our visual awareness beyond the traditional visible light spectrum. But a waysthe Nature report imagines real-life use as soon as within the next decadeis a far sight sooner than most of us can even fathom for a technology straight out of science fiction.

To read up on this breakthrough in more detail, check out the news report on the Nature website. And if you have a subscription to the journal, you can read the full research paper at this link.

(via New Scientists via Engadget)

Image credits: Header photo by Harry Quan, CC0

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Researchers Have Created a Cyborg Eye that Works Like the Real Thing - PetaPixel

SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARYGetty Images

A new paper in Cell describes a radical treatment that may give the visually impaired the ability to see again. Using a visual cortical prosthesis (VCP) implanted on the brain, researchers were able to stimulate figures which allowed subjects to see the figure via electrical impulses.

This procedure produces a small flash of lightknown as a phosphenewithout any light actually entering their eyes. For example, the lights you see when you rub your eyes are classified as mechanical phosphenes.

Study subjects included sighted and blind participants who reported what they were seeing as researchers traced shapes on the surface of the brain's visual cortex by stimulating electrodes in dynamic sequence. Blind participants recognized the shapes being drawneven as they appeared at a speedy 86 forms per minute. The researchers also note that their findings support the use of a brain prosthesis in order to restore some semblance of vision in the blind.

In this case, the visual cortex is the best location for a VCP as it's the area of the brain that processes information from the eyes. In the 1960s, researchers kind of had the right idea when they theorized that stimulating certain spots of the cortex might help the blind see thanks to the phosphene phenomena. What they got wrong was the assumption that stimulating individual spots would create a cohesive picture in the mind's eye.

According to study authors Michael Beauchamp, a neuroscientist, and Daniel Yoshor, a neurosurgeon, our brains are wildly complex and for reasons that we don't yet fully understand, it is actually very difficult to produce recognizable forms from phosphene combinations. Still, the researchers managed to find a way around this as they conducted their research. In the study they write:

Beauchamp et al.

Although it seems promising, this kind of technology is still in its infancy and will require time for further development. This initial study only utilized a couple of electrodes whereas thousands would be needed to "paint" a better pictures for those using the tech. Additionally, durable electrodes that are compatible with our biology will need to be created for long-term use and implantation in order to help the visually impaired see again.

We're not quite there yet, but we seem to be going in the right direction.

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'Brain Drawing' Could Help Give the Blind a Sense of Sight - Popular Mechanics

People are going blind for thelack of basic eye checks as they are too afraid to travel to a hospital or optician.

Specialist doctors have told the Telegraph that people risk irreparable damage to their eyes as waiting rooms which were usually full, are now almost empty.

One eye clinic reported that half of their patients with macular degeneration are failing to attend essential treatment, without which they will go blind.

One doctor told the Telegraph that he had seen a drop off of around 90 per cent, and that it had been four or five weeks since he had seen a single patient referred for their first vital appointment after being referred from an optician.

Patients with wet type macular degeneration, need to be seen regularly in the eye clinic to decide if they need the injections, and to be treated so that the vision stabilates at that level, said Professor Sobha Sivaprasad, consultant ophthalmologist at Moorfields Eye Hospital.

If they don't attend these visits then it will have a lasting impact on their sight. These conditions are sight-threatening

In a clinic we'd see about 100 patients each day and was always overbooked, half of those were not coming in.

They're not coming in because of fear - whether that's of public transport, getting the infection just getting out of their house.

Macular diseases are by far the biggest cause of sight loss in the UK, with nearly 1.5m people estimated to be living with some form of the condition.

Every day, around 300 people are diagnosed with macular disease. It can affect people of any age even children and there is still no cure.

Cilla Shell worked for 14 years in clinical governance within the NHS. The 68 year-old from Hornchurch said that she was scared to go to hospital for her routine appointments.

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People going blind as they are 'too scared' to see a doctor or optician - Telegraph.co.uk

(MENAFN - Khaleej Times) What is the price of a smile? Now multiply that by 71 million. For, that's the number of lives that the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives touched and transformed in 2019. agratitude from around the world. In this series, Khaleej Times showcases eight people whose lives MBRGI changed last year through the power of hope

El Hadj Habib Cisse, 74, lives in the rural town of Mekhe, Senegal, home to 33,000 residents who do not have access to basic healthcare services. The town does not have a licensed hospital that provides routine medical services, such as eye examinations and vision treatment.

Cisse used to work as a tailor before developing cataracts more than 20 years ago. His eyesight diminished gradually until he could no longer see well enough to perform his most basic daily tasks, let alone continue working. As a result, he lost his only source of income.

Due to the lack of resources in his hometown and his meagre living conditions, Cisse was unable to get the proper treatment for his cataracts. Then Noor Dubai's mobile eye camp brought a ray of hope into his life.

isse was one of the 2,158 patients who received critical eye surgeries as part of Noor Dubai's four medical camps in Senegal and Bangladesh last year. The mobile camps provided medical services to 20,486 patients and distributed 6,608 pairs of eyeglasses in remote areas of both countries.

Thanks to the medical team, Cisse's eyesight was restored, enabling him to lead a productive life today with an income of his own.

MENAFN2205202000490000ID1100208263

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#PowerOfHope: Surgery gave back tailor his eyesight - and work - MENAFN.COM

Hopefully soon we will be back to dealing with such now-rarely-mentioned dangers as climate change which some have even called the next pandemic the threat of a nuclear disaster, our crumbling infrastructure, and the failing health care system, among others. Those may seem insignificant today, but they are not going away. Indeed, none of the problems America faced before COVID-19 are going away. The temporary paralysis caused by our focus on COVID-19 is only making them worse.

Thats why it is so important that who we elect in November has a specific plan to address the big issues we face. We need a strategy. The next president whether it is the current one or his opponent must articulate specific and practical solutions ones which can generate support among Republicans, Democrats and independents.

And like the doctors and other health care professionals dealing with COVID-19, our would-be president must base his plans on facts and data, not wishful thinking or blind loyalty to rigid political ideologies.

Thats what good government means. In terms of human life, opportunities squandered and economics, we are paying an incalculable price for the bad government that kept its head in the sand and denied the threat of COVID-19 for the important months of December, January, February and half of March. By any definition it is a debacle. If we have learned anything during the COVID-19 pandemic, it is that good government matters.

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John Burke: One eye on the forest, one eye on the trees - Madison.com

Prime Minister Boris Johnson implemented a lockdown across the UK on March 23 in a bid to protect the NHS, slow the spread of COVID-19 and save lives.

As part of the lockdown the following changes were implemented:

READ MORE:Optician suspended after 'accusing veteran of INVADING COUNTRIES'

The Government has confirmed opticians can remain open as they are working with the NHS to provide essential and urgent eye care to meet with needs and reduce pressure on GPS, A&E and hospital eye departments.

However, it is the decision of each individual practice owner whether or not to remain open during these unprecedented times.

If a practice does remain open, it is advised they ask patients to telephone the practice before attending, but for remote triage, to ascertain whether the patient needs essential eye care before being seen.

For those who have broken their glasses or their prescription is out of date, it may be possible to contact your optician to issue temporary glasses or contact lenses without an examination.

Many opticians are able to undertake simple repairs by post.

For those experiencing serious eye issues and vision problems, these should not be ignored and advice should be sought as soon as possible.

Symptoms or problems may include:

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Opticians opening hours: Are opticians open during the lockdown? - Express.co.uk

(PRESS RELEASE) CHICAGO Prevent Blindness, the nations oldest non-profit eye health organization, announced the launch of its new brand identity, logo, and website. The launch coincides with the organizations new Be a Visionary campaign: a call to action to join in the sight-saving efforts of Prevent Blindness.

The new identity is designed to reflect the organizations long history as well as its current sight-saving efforts and programs. The new look is designed to invoke the innovative, trusted and professional reputation of Prevent Blindness as it looks to the future.

Prevent Blindness began in 1908 as a public health advocacy organization. The core of our sight-saving mission has remained the same, but we have expanded our efforts to address the pressing needs of people living today in communities across the country, said Jeff Todd, president and CEO of Prevent Blindness. Our new brand identity and website have been created to demonstrate all that Prevent Blindness offers to consumers, industry leaders, medical and public health professionals, and government representatives.

The Prevent Blindness logo was redesigned to emphasize the important role of prevention, by bolding the word Prevent. The multi-colored eye as logo mark is meant to reflect many elements converging to represent community and symbolize inclusiveness.

To make vision and eye health information at Prevent Blindness as user-friendly as possible, the newly-redesigned website at http://www.PreventBlindness.org features easy-to-navigate pages with built-in accessibility features. Websites for the Center for Vision and Population Health and the National Center for Childrens Vision and Eye Health at Prevent Blindness have also been extensively updated.

To engage the public in the next chapter of its legacy, Prevent Blindness will soon roll out the Be a Visionary program, asking consumers to join in the mission and pledge their support by advocating for eye health, sharing stories of the gift of healthy vision, or donating to the cause. Shareable social media graphics, including #BeAVisionary, will be available to participate in the campaign.

Today we understand that we are in the midst of a profoundly devastating epidemic, added Mr. Todd. Our goal is to continue to move forward, to continue to advocate and educate on the importance of eye health. We believe these new efforts will help guide us in the year 2020 and for many years to come.

For more information on Prevent Blindness, its history and new brand identity, please visit www. PreventBlindness.org or call (800) 331-2020.

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Prevent Blindness Unveils New Brand Identity, Logo and Website - InvisionMag

Seeing the way forward for eye care in the UK

Eyesight is the sense that most patients fear losing the most(1) yet unfortunately some patients dont know, that as part of their well-being, they should attend their optical practice every two years. Some people should attend more often, including under 16-year-olds (if clinically required), those who have diabetes, or glaucoma, and people with a family history of glaucoma. The leading causes of sight loss are corrective refractive error, age-related macular degeneration (AMD), glaucoma, cataracts and diabetic retinopathy.(2) Regular sight testing and early detection of eye conditions during a sight test, followed by timely intervention and management can prevent sight loss.

One barrier to patients accessing eye care is the cost element.(3) Scotland is the only country in the UK that provides free universal NHS eye examinations. England, Wales and Northern Ireland only provide free NHS eye exams to those who are:

People who get the following benefits are also entitled to a NHS eye examination:

And those who have a low income and are named on a valid NHS HC2 certificate for full help with health costs.

All other patients presenting for routine/emergency eye care need to pay unless there is a locally arranged eye care scheme that provides emergency care. Its extremely disappointing that the Westminster Government doesnt prioritise eye care, as more often than not they dont recognise the optical profession as primary care providers. This has been demonstrated a number of times in the last month where no increase in General Ophthalmic Services (GOS) fees were provided in England, for the fifth consecutive year and optical practices were the last to be directed in the provision of essential and urgent care in relation to eye health within the COVID-19 pandemic.

If eye care was recognised as the public health tool that it can be and pathways changed to enable free eyecare to be delivered, universally; if investment was made by spending to save as it costs less to see patients in primary care than secondary, freeing capacity in secondary care; if the highly skilled optical clinical workforce were allowed to work at the top of their competencies to help prevent, treat and monitor eye health problems in the community, far more sight loss could be avoided.

Regardless of the above and sadly, not all sight loss is preventable. Being diagnosed with sight loss can cause immediate fear and panic. Optical staff are trained to support patients with sight loss and low vision by providing advice on spectacles, contact lenses, visual aids, lighting, advances in technology for computers and mobile phones to be used to help when they are out socialising, travelling, shopping etc. enabling patients to maintain their independence.

There is also advice available on modifications that can be made to homes and workplaces. Optical staff will signpost to charities and organisations that provide support groups and communities for those who have suffered some or complete sight loss. The practical and emotional support offered by organisations including the Macular Society, International Glaucoma Association, Diabetes UK, Blind Veterans UK, the Royal Society for Blind Children, SeeAbility and RNIB to name but a few is invaluable.

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Seeing the way forward for eye care in the UK - Open Access Government

My name is Kenneth, I. Ekeng and, the first thing you should know about me is I am not a doctor. Im not an expert on nutrition either. I never went to medical college and I dont have a degree in anything.

But aside from my job, the other thing I consider myself expert about is

I Know How Any Person In NIGERIA Can Regain Their Lost Vision In A Very Easy Way!.

I know because I CONQUER it.

And Other Numerous Eye Problems.

Find out here: Healthsolve.org/vision

If you are over 45 and you have any eye problems and you REALLY want to see better without eye surgery, glasses or eye-drop, I bet this is going to be the most important message you will read this year.

Heres why!

As you may or may not know, when we get older, we usually begin to experience problems with our eyes and our vision. This causes many people to need eye surgery so they have the best vision possible.

Why? Because, usually after the age of 45, the lens in our eyes begin to harden due to natural causes. Our vision becomes cloudy and the lens itself turns brown, blocking off our field of vision.

The truth is, if you live long enough, I can almost guarantee you will develop Cataracts or Glaucoma. Its a natural condition that affects almost everybody at some point in his or her later life.

In fact, there are over two hundred thousand eye surgeries performed, each year, in Nigeria alone many of which are performed by inexperienced doctors in less than perfect conditions.

This has led to some scary stories on how some of these eye operations have gone wrong for some patients.

too many Eyes surgeries are being performed in less than perfect condition all over the country. Those surgery rooms are not even clean, much less sterile. And the environmental conditions are not controllable.

Unfortunately, too many surgeons are putting their own financial interests ahead of their patients interests.

Click here to find out: Healthsolve.org/vision

Are You Aware That The Big Drug Companies Are Cheating Everyone Who Is Trying To Regain Lost Sight?

They do this in two different ways.

First of all, they try to keep us from finding out about safe, cheap ways to Reverse Glaucoma, cataracts, myopia and other eye problems without going for surgery.

The second way they cheat us is, they sell us millions and millions of naira worth of prescription glasses/lenses that are worthless.

Not only that,

many of these glasses are very dangerous, and they cause refractive errors to your optic nerves.

Why am I telling you this?

Because, for the first time EVER, Ive decided to publicly reveal the Secret remedy, which has helped reverse my Glaucoma and cataract, combined. And Im revealing this to a very small select group of people.

Go here to discover: Healthsolve.org/vision

Once you click that link, youll get to watch the video where I revealed the secret your doctor hasnt told you about your eyes problems, and why you should know it Plus Ive gone ahead to reveal the breakthrough remedy your doctor wished you never found out.

To watch the video. . .

Go here: Healthsolve.org/vision

I kid you not, youre not going to believe your eyes when you watch the hard-core revelation in that video.

Optometrist offered me a big salary, a car and a new wardrobe if I would be a spokesman for them. But I wont. They may have a good system, but I believe my discovery is much better. And thats why I have teamed up with a company of AirTook, Inc. that is letting me tell people what magical pill they should use to reverse their lost sight in exactly the same way I did it. You know, to tell the truth, this discovery works better than any other eye pill and glasses ever devised. Consider this:

My glaucoma was reversed in less than 60 days!

My cataract that was due for the third operation in a row was gone forever!

I dont use glasses any longer!

I can now drive at night and watch Tv just like everyone else with perfect sight!

No more eyeglasses IM FREE!

You see, Ive been on TVs, Ive been on radios, Ive been written up in many newspapers and my story is all around social media.

And guess what? Everybody and I mean everybody wants to know my secret. Well, more than 30 thousand people have been saved from going blind already with this breakthrough remedy. And now, with your permission, Im going to reveal it to you! What I want to do is send you a very special report called: Kens Way: the amazing Publication Of A Man Who Reversed His Lost Sight in just 2 months!The special publication tells it all. It is easy to read and easy to understand and

You Dont Have ToPay a Fortune to Read It!

Click Here >>> To Read The Breakthrough Publication, and as well watch the controversial video therein.

Look, I dont mean to brag, but Im proud of myself. The doctors couldnt help me. All those eyes experts couldnt help me. Even my family couldnt help me. (But God bless them for trying.) I didnt get help from Dr Patterson, possibly the best eye surgeon in Canada who operated my eye or anybody else. No, I did it all on my own and I learned it the hard way. Now I will be showing you how to do it fast and cheap.

Go here: Healthsolve.org/vision

Lets talk about money.

I heard on the news the other day that the average person who performs eye surgery with an optometrist pays about NGN400, 000 or more to do it.

But save your money! All you need is this open secret remedy; you can get for almost nothing compared to all that other stuff.

And hear this: none of those other doctors or drug companies can do what Im about to do for you

NOW, find a quiet place, and carefully watch this urgent video here: Healthsolve.org/vision

Please note: The video would be pulled down after this weekend

Continued here:
This Tiny Ocular Reverses all eye problems, has saved thousands from going blind (Sponsored) - Daily Post Nigeria

DMP, a leading integrator of edge AI Computing leverages performance, low power advantages of Prophesee breakthrough bio-inspired technology to enable more efficient IoT, autonomous navigation systems

PARIS, France and TOKYO, Japan May 14th, 2020 Prophesee SA, inventor of the most advanced neuromorphic vision systems, and Digital Media Professionals (DMP), Inc., a leading semiconductor and IP licensing company specializing in visual computing and edge AI for embedded devices, today announced a partnership that will combine their respective expertise and technology. Through the agreement, DMP will develop and offer integrated solutions that leverage Prophesee's breakthrough Event-Based Vision capabilities which dramatically improve the performance and power efficiency of vision-enabled systems. A particular focus will be on machine vision and AI solutions for IoT and autonomous navigation systems.

Compared to conventional cameras that capture images at a constant frame rate, Event-based Vision sensors detect changes in the luminance of each pixel asynchronously and output data including coordinates and time only for the pixels where a change, a movement, is detected in the environment. As a result, Prophesee's Metavision Event-Based Vision sensor has features such as high dynamic range (120 dB or more), high data efficiency (10-1000 times less than conventional cameras), and ultra-low power consumption (<10 mW at the sensor level). The combination of Prophesee's Metavision Event-Based Vision sensor and DMP's software and hardware technology for edge AI enables quick recognition and tracking of moving objects in a wide range of environments including dark places.

In the fields such as IoT, robotics, and mobility where DMP is focusing, it realizes low power, small size, high performance, and high resolution edge AI solutions, which, for example, are able to detect signs and obstacles in low light conditions, to track a slight movement of the driver's line of sight at high speed to prevent accidents, and to detect thin wires that were previously difficult to detect.

"This is a partnership of strengths. DMP's experience in developing embedded visual computing and AI solutions for applications that require powerful and efficient machine vision capabilities are an ideal complement to Prophesee's breakthrough event-based vision approach," said Luca Verre, co-founder and CEO of Prophesee. "By leveraging our innovative neuromorphic, AI-enabled techniques to improve performance and reduce power in how machines see, we can help meet DMP's customers' image sensing and analysis needs in areas such as IoT/AI devices and autonomous navigation."

"We are pleased to be able to offer this innovative technology as part of our integrated visual and AI solutions for vision-enabled systems. Prophesee's unique event-based approach to object recognition perfectly fits the industry's/customer's requirement of low power consumption for IoT devices and offers us with differentiated competitiveness of our AI-based products and services," said Tatsuo Yamamoto, President & CEO of DMP.

About DMP

Digital Media Professionals (DMP), Inc. is a Tokyo, Japan-based R&D-type fabless semiconductor vendor that deploys licensing business of hardware IPs and software IPs based on proprietary 2D/3D graphics technology for embedded devices, as well as graphics LSI business that incorporates these IPs. In recent years, in order to become the world's leading "AI Computing Company", DMP provides solutions through a broad portfolio including AI processor IPs, hardware/software products and services, and AI ecosystem established by its own.For more information visit: https://www.dmprof.com/en/

About Prophesee

Prophesee is the inventor of the world's most advanced neuromorphic vision systems.The company developed a breakthrough Event-Based Vision approach to machine vision. This new vision category allows for significant reductions of power, latency and data processing requirements to reveal what was invisible to traditional frame-based sensors until now.Prophesee's patented Metavision sensors and algorithms mimic how the human eye and brain work to dramatically improve efficiency in areas such as autonomous vehicles, industrial automation, IoT, security and surveillance, and AR/VR.Prophesee is based in Paris, with local offices in Grenoble, Shanghai, Tokyo and Silicon Valley. The company is driven by a team of 102 visionary engineers, holds more than 50 international patents and is backed by leading international investors including Sony, iBionext, 360 Capital Partners, Intel Capital, Robert Bosch Venture Capital, Supernova Invest, and European Investment Bank.For more information visit: http://www.prophesee.ai

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Prophesee, DMP partner to accelerate development of embedded machine vision and artificial intelligence (AI) applications using Event-Based Vision...

GA is a progressive, irreversible retinal disease that could lead to blindness. Credit: Kamil Saitov.

Boehringer Ingelheim has signed a collaboration and licensing agreement with CDR-Life for the research and development of antibody fragment-based therapeutics to treat geographic atrophy (GA).

GA is a progressive, irreversible retinal disease that develops in patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) that could lead to blindness and lacks approved treatments.

The partnership will combine Boehringers therapeutic biologics development expertise with CDR-Lifes antibody engineering expertise. The companies intend to advance CDR-Lifes preclinical candidate for potentially preserving sight in GA patients.

Boehringer Ingelheim discovery research corporate senior vice-president and global head Clive Wood said: Partnering with CDR-Life provides Boehringer Ingelheim with the opportunity to collaborate with a team that has a proven track record developing antibody fragment-based therapeutics for retinal diseases.

The prospect of losing ones sight is frightening. We are committed to transformational therapies that have the potential to succeed in preserving the health and vision of patients with retinal diseases, such as geographic atrophy.

Antibody fragment-based technology helps to retain the specificity of an antibody and also significantly cuts the molecules size, noted Boehringer. This technology could have a significant benefit over standard large molecule approaches for retinal diseases treatment.

The company added that intravitreal injection to the eye may enable high-affinity antibody fragment therapies to reach the retinal pigment epithelial cells, where degeneration occurs.

This precise delivery of medication is expected to mitigate the cellular stresses associated with AMD and prevent further loss of sight.

CDR-Life CEO Christian Leisner said: This is an exciting partnership that brings together Boehringer Ingelheims development expertise and CDR-Lifes innovative antibody fragments to provide hope for people living with a blinding retinal disease.

We look forward to advancing this project towards the clinic together with the Boehringer Ingelheim team.

As part of the deal, Boehringer will get an exclusive, worldwide licence to develop compounds based on CDR-Lifes technology against a specific target. The company will carry out development and commercialisation globally.

CDR-Life will be eligible for up to CHF474.5m ($488.9m) in upfront and milestone payments, along with research funding and sales royalties.

Read the original here:
CDR-Life and Boehringer partner to develop geographic atrophy therapies - Pharmaceutical Technology

Computer Vision Syndrome is an eye-sight iissue (Photo: iStock) 

Some people chose this as a way of life while some to play games but too much stress on sensitive eyes would lead to no good but pain.

Learn about the disadvantages of prolonged screen time and why prevention is better than cure.

Computer Vision Syndrome is dangerous and can lead to various health casualties in the long run. Software engineers, business professionals, hackers, gamers you name it but one thing definitely unites them and that is long durations of sitting in front of a screen.

Now, this can happen due to quite a few reasons.

Now, before jumping into conclusions, the need to understand the importance of the eyes is prime. Our eyes fall under the 5 important sense organs we have. The power of sight can be considered a gift and we should at all time try to protect this privilege of ours. Imagine going blind for a day? Seems pretty impossible right?

So why not be careful about its betterment and try to take up measures to prevent a casualty?

Although the question remains. Do I already have Computer Vision Syndrome?

Possible Symptoms

If you or your family member has been experiencing these symptoms lately, a diagnosis by an optometrist would be very necessary. Ignoring the same may lead to severe problems that may have an adverse effect on your health status.

Serious diseases should also not be ignored in these cases, for example, the likes of Glaucoma is very much possible due to CVS. The high pressure created on your eyes to view content or object that has a high contrast rate can cause Glaucoma. Intraocular pressure is what determines the pressure inside our eyes and too much pressure can lead to vision loss as well.

How to take precautions to avoid Computer Vision Syndrome?

Avoiding CVS is simple and doesn't require you to be a superhero to be the prevent the same. Changing regular screen time habits and understanding the need to protect your eyes would be our first step towards a cure.

Some other useful prevention methods are mentioned below which you are free to refer to.

Eye Drops

Medical Industry has a bunch of eye drops to offer that provide temporary solutions to our immediate problems. They are effective and easy to use. If you experience back eye strain or redness of eyes due to long office hours or a group gaming session, you can consult your doctor and make use of these eye drops that are easily available at any convenience store nearby if the opthalmologist prescribes it.

Soothe the strained eyes

Cucumber is cool and dropping in a couple of them over your eyes while you relax is also an easy hack to less strained eyes. Cucumber contains a lot of water in it and has hydrating benefits. Beauty professionals have always used this as a common hack to relaxation and are a common way of getting out those ugly dark spots around your eyes. If you are allergic to a cucumber which no one or whatever the cause may be, you can use a regular wet tissue or any eye pad if you are trying to go really fancy.

Switch your screen.

High contrast and low-quality display can also be a factor that leads to depleted eye quality. As we strive towards modernisation, certain companies have started to come up with good quality displays which go easy on your eyes and designed to produce better images while keeping your eyes safe at the same time.

So do not let an old and outdated display hamper your eyes, rather go for an extra buck and prevent further problems.

Alter your work routine

By this, we don't mean that you stop working or take early retirement. Rather, we ask you not to sit continuously in front of the screen and take breaks at regular intervals to let your eyes rest. You should always maintain a safe distance of 20-40 inches from the screen.

Following these simple precautionary methods can help you take care of your eyes and will bring longevity to your sight.

The views expressed by the author are personal and do not in any way represent those of Times Network.

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How to recognise Computer vision syndrome, remedies to save your eye health - Times Now

Friday, May 1, 2020

At least 2 billion people around the world have vision problems but how do you know if and when your pet is struggling with its own eyesight? Its a good question, especially in a year numbered 2020.

Dr. Wendy Townsend, associate professor of ophthalmology in Purdue Veterinary Medicines Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, has focused her career and research in veterinary medicine on diagnosing and treating eye conditions in animals. The most common question I get is if we fit animals with glasses, Dr. Townsend says. While thats not what we do, our goal is to help animals see better and improve their quality of life if theyre having issues.

Although her patients span a variety of species, her research is focused on a particular breed of dog that reigns as one of the most popular dog breeds in America: golden retrievers. Golden retriever pigmentary uveitis is a disease almost exclusively found in purebred golden retrievers. Its an inherited form of uveitis (inflammation of the uveal tract, which includes the iris). And though the disease is inherited, the onset and diagnosis usually occurs when the dogs are older.

The disease can often result in blindness due to cataracts and glaucoma, and there are no current methods to prevent or reverse it. Mild symptoms, such as redness and drainage, usually dont appear until the dog is around eight years old and can progress to an advanced stage before dogs see a veterinarian, Dr. Townsend says. The disease affects about 10% of senior golden retrievers.

Dr. Townsend is leading a study that is trying to identify the gene that causes the disease. If the gene can be identified, the disease can be detected earlier, and breeders will be able to identify which of their dogs might be carriers and how they can keep the disease from being passed on to future generations.

The problem breeders are facing right now is that even if theyre being responsible and making good decisions, they dont know their dog is affected, Dr. Townsend says. They can be several generations down their pedigree before they know theres a problem.

Dr. Townsend grew up owning golden retrievers and was completing her residency in veterinary ophthalmology when the disease was first recognized. It was bizarre because nobody could understand why it was happening in this specific breed, Dr. Townsend says. But since I loved golden retrievers and had a passion for ophthalmology, it seemed like a natural fit.

And although the disease presents itself primarily in purebred golden retrievers, Dr. Townsend explains that it can appear in some crossbreeds especially Labrador and golden retriever crosses. That becomes a concern because Labrador and golden crosses are frequently used as seeing-eye dogs, Dr. Townsend says. And because the disease doesnt show symptoms until these dogs are older, they could be struggling with their own vision and you might not even know.

Thats why Dr. Townsend says having dogs screened especially service dogs is critical. The earlier you can catch something, the better, Dr. Townsend says. That goes for all vision problems with any animal.

As a veterinary ophthalmologist, Dr. Townsend says its not uncommon for her to see dogs from across the country affected by golden retriever pigmentary uveitis. In addition to those patients, she commonly sees animals with corneal ulcers (scratches on the eye), cataracts, and glaucoma. Her patients include mostly dogs, horses, and cats but she also has treated penguins, tigers, and other exotic species.

And although she doesnt fit animals with glasses, she has fitted a dog or two with contact lenses. Theyre usually dogs that participate in agility and have trouble focusing or struggle with nearsightedness.

Sometimes animals struggle with the same eye problems that people do. Theyre just not as good at telling us when something is wrong, Dr. Townsend says. She consistently encourages pet owners to be cognizant of their pets eye health for that very reason.

Animals are good at compensating when something isnt working right. So if one eye is bothering them, theyll just rely more heavily on the other eye, Dr. Townsend says. And most of our pets dont need to have super-sharp vision to lead normal everyday lives. But in some cases like with dogs that participate in agility being able to focus both near and far is important.

As Dr. Townsend continues her mission to solve the mystery behind golden retriever pigmentary uveitis in addition to seeing her patients she hopes she can build some awareness around the field of ophthalmology. The eye might be small, but its a powerful organ that we all use and it allows me to work across a wide variety of species, Dr. Townsend explains. I frequently have clients tell me, I had no idea this was an option, or, I didnt know there were eye doctors for dogs. The impact this field can have on our patients and their quality of life can be significant.

Dr. Townsends work is supported by the American Kennel Clubs Canine Health Foundation.

Writer(s): Abbey Nickel, Purdue News Service, and Kevin Doerr | pvmnews@purdue.edu

Original post:
More Than Meets the Eye: Veterinary Ophthalmologist Wendy Townsend Focuses on Animal Eye Conditions - Purdue Veterinary News

(Photo by Danny Fulgencio)

Just a few weeks ago, Rafael Martinez Salazar was looking forward to the last stretch of senior year. The Innovation, Design and Entrepreneurship Academy that Rafael attends in Old East Dallas had a lineup of senior activities to celebrate the end of a long and stressful academic journey.

Then the coronavirus hit.

Dallas ISD schools closed for the year, jeopardizing milestones that have become rights of passage for graduating seniors across the United States. The likelihood that students will get to toss their caps in a commencement ceremony seems to diminish every day.

Im like, Are you serious? Its the last part of senior year, Rafael says. Its supposed to be fun. Im not going to get to do all this stuff. Thats messed up.

Rafael may feel cheated, but hes following the rules. Hes staying home and logging in to Google Classroom, where his teachers take attendance and post assignments. He can complete his work in just a few hours.

Distance learning is all right, but I liked it better when it was physical, Rafael says. After a while, it gets boring. Its like, What do I do now? I take a walk to take my mind off it.

The next few weeks will be full of uncertainty for seniors as graduation, summer school and financial aid hang in the balance of factors beyond their control. Whatever happens, Rafael knows he can overcome any obstacle. Hes been doing it all his life.

Rafael has had vision problems for as long as he can remember. As a child, he struggled to read the letters during a vision test at school. He met with an eye specialist, and on his 11th birthday, he was diagnosed with Stargardtdisease, a degenerative disorder that causes progressive vision loss.

There is no cure or treatment, but there are resources. During school, Rafael sits at the front of the class, and his teachers provide him with large-print worksheets. For online assignments, he uses the accessibility options on his phone and computer to enlarge the font.

He manages so well that most people dont know he has a disability. That doesnt stop unassuming folks from asking why he holds his phone so close to his face. Sometimes, he just doesnt feel like explaining.

I just say I dont have my contacts in, Rafael says.

Rafael has coped with the stigma of being visually impaired since childhood. While other kids tried to tear him down by calling him names, Rafael focused on his strength.

It didnt kill me, he says. Its like, Youre trying to knock me down because Im doing something right.

The senior is in the top 10 percent of his class academically, and last fall, he landed the coveted role of drum major at his home school. The position relies heavily on sight, but using the beat, Rafael memorizes the steps and directs the band when to play.

Becoming drum major was a yearslong dream for Rafael, who joined the band in middle school. The first instrument he learned to play was the saxophone. Since then, hes taught himself to play eight instruments, including the French horn, trumpet, piano and guitar. He sight-reads using oversized sheet music, then memorizes the piece until it becomes second nature.

Sometimes you have dreams for your kids, and sometimes they cant always be realized, says Christian Haley, Rafaels instructional support specialist. He could use his disability as an excuse, but he doesnt. I know hes going to advocate for himself and get the help that he needs.

This fall, Rafael plans to attend the historically black university Prairie View A&M on a full-ride scholarship. He wants to play in the Marching Storm while majoring in music education and minoring in music production. Hes got his sights set on becoming a band director or a music producer who creates hit radio tracks.

My disability doesnt mean I cant do something just as good, if not better, Rafael says. My mom would tell me, Youre not supposed to let this stop you. Things dont just happen for no reason. Youre going to be great one of these days.

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How this drum major overcame vision loss and marched his way to success - Advocate Media

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Second Sight Medical Products Inc. (NASDAQ: EYES), a developer, manufacturer and marketer of implantable visual prosthetics that are intended to create an artificial form of useful vision for blind individuals, today announced the pricing of an underwritten public offering of 7,500,000 shares of common stock, no par value (the Common Stock) at an offering price of $1.00 per share of Common Stock for aggregate gross proceeds of $7,500,000, prior to deducting underwriting discounts, commissions and other offering expenses. The offering is expected to close on May 5, 2020, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions.

Second Sight Medical Products intends to use the net proceeds from the offering for accrued expenses, working capital and general corporate purposes, which may include, without limitation, engaging in partnerships, business combinations, or acquisitions or investing in businesses that may or may not be related to its current operations.

ThinkEquity, a division of Fordham Financial Management, Inc., is acting as representative of the underwriters in the offering.

A shelf registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-221228) relating to the shares of common stock to be issued in the proposed offering was filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and is effective. A preliminary prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus describing the terms of the proposed offering was filed by the Company with the SEC. The securities may be offered only by means of a prospectus, including a prospectus supplement, forming a part of the effective registration statement. Copies of the preliminary prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus relating to the securities being offered may also be obtained from ThinkEquity, a division of Fordham Financial Management, Inc., 17 State Street, 22nd Floor, New York, New York 10004, by telephone at (877) 436-3673, by email at prospectus@think-equity.com. Electronic copies of the preliminary prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus will also be available on the SECs website at http://www.sec.gov.

This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.

Safe Harbor

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, which are intended to be covered by the safe harbor created by those sections. All statements in this release that are not based on historical fact are forward looking statements. These statements may be identified by words such as estimates, anticipates, projects, plans, strategy, goal, or planned, seeks, may, will, expects, intends, believes, should, and similar expressions, or the negative versions thereof, and which also may be identified by their context. All statements that address operating performance or events or developments that Second Sight expects or anticipates will occur in the future, such as stated objectives or goals, our refinement of strategy, including the outcome of our announced downgrading of operations, our attempts to secure additional financing, our exploring possible business alternatives, or that are not otherwise historical facts, are forward-looking statements. While management has based any forward-looking statements included in this release on its current expectations, the information on which such expectations were based may change. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, including those risks and uncertainties described in or implied by the Risk Factors and in Managements Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations sections of our Annual Report on Form 10-K, filed on March 19, 2020 and our other reports filed from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We urge you to consider those risks and uncertainties in evaluating our forward-looking statements. We caution readers not to place undue reliance upon any such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. Except as otherwise required by the federal securities laws, we disclaim any obligation or undertaking to publicly release any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statement contained herein (or elsewhere) to reflect any change in our expectations with regard thereto, or any change in events, conditions, or circumstances on which any such statement is based.

About Second Sight Medical Products Inc.

Second Sight Medical Products, Inc. (NASDAQ: EYES) develops, manufactures and markets implantable visual prosthetics that are intended to deliver useful artificial vision to blind individuals. A recognized global leader in neuromodulation devices for blindness, the Company is committed to developing new technologies to treat the broadest population of sight-impaired individuals. The Companys headquarters are in Los Angeles, California. More information is available at https://secondsight.com/.

About the Orion Visual Cortical Prosthesis System

Leveraging Second Sights 20 years of experience in neuromodulation for vision, the Orion Visual Cortical Prosthesis System (Orion) is an implanted cortical stimulation device intended to provide useful artificial vision to individuals who are blind due to a wide range of causes, including glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, optic nerve injury or disease, and eye injury. Orion is intended to convert images captured by a miniature video camera mounted on glasses into a series of small electrical pulses. The device is designed to bypass diseased or injured eye anatomy and to transmit these electrical pulses wirelessly to an array of electrodes implanted on the surface of the brains visual cortex, where it is intended to provide the perception of patterns of light. A six-subject early feasibility study of the Orion is currently underway at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles and the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. No peer-reviewed data is available yet for the Orion system.

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Second Sight Medical Products Announces Pricing of Public Offering of Common Stock - Business Wire

New Orleans Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan (94) sacks Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston (3) in the second half of an NFL football game in New Orleans, Sunday, Oct. 6, 2019. The Saints won 31-24.(Photo: Bill Feig, AP)

BATON ROUGE New Saints quarterback Jameis Winston, who signed a one-year contract for $1.1 million last week, was interviewed by area reporters on a Zoom teleconference on Wednesday.

Winston was the first pick of the 2015 draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers out of Florida State and was their starter for five seasons.

The complete question-and-answer session follows:

JAMEIS WINSTON: Who Dat?

QUESTION: "Could you talkabout suppressing your ego to come to New Orleans to be the backup for Drew Brees?"

WINSTON: No, I dont think I ever said anything about an ego check. I think I mentioned humility, and one thing about humility is everyone needs to be humble. I started from very humble beginnings. Its another chapter in my life that Im going to learn from, and its going to make me better.

A New Vision: Jameis Winston has improved eyesight and vision

QUESTION: "Was this the best fit for you?"

WINSTON: "We have a Hall of Fame quarterback (Brees) and a future Hall of Fame coach (Sean Payton). Thats very intriguing for a young quarterback like myself. And also Ive been playing against this defense for the past five years, and they continue to get better and be dominant. This is a Super Bowl-contending team, and Im just happy to be a part of that.

QUESTION: "Who did you talk to about your decision to come to the Saints?"

WINSTON: "It was a little bit of everybody. During this time, Ive got married (on March 27 to Breion Allen of the New Orleans area). Ive had numerous conversations. Ive been doing a lot of different things. A lot of people have helped me with this decision. It really was easy in terms of knowing the quarterbackroom that I was going to be in. Understanding that I love this game with all my heart despite a lot of different things that come with this game like money and celebrity status.

Opinion: NFC South just got a lot more interesting

"One thing that Derrick Brooks (Pro Football Hall of Fame member who played at Tampa Bay and Florida State) taught me in mytime at Florida State to now is youve got to respect the game. The game will always be bigger than you, and the game will always win. In my experience as a professional football player, the game has won. I just want to honor that and be a part of this organization and be in the quarterback room thats as prestigious as the one that we have now. And be the best football player, be the best teammate I can possibly be.

QUESTION:"What is your relationship with Drew Brees?"

WINSTON: Theres only a few people in this league that actually follow up with you when you ask them a question, when you reach out to them.The first time I met Drew (laughs) was in 2006. I was one of the the first kids to get his autograph."

Winston, who is from Bessemer, Alabama, in theBirmingham area, met Brees when Brees was in Birmingham concerning his surgery with Dr. James Andrews, who repaired Brees'torn labrum on his right, throwing shoulder in January of2006before his first season with the Saints. Winston was 12at the time.

WINSTON: "And I met Drew again during pre-draft back in San Diego (in 2015) athis home base, and we got a chance to talk at a church. Ever since then, hes always been a guy that I can hit up during the season and ask a question, and hell get back with me. I just love the person he is, and the guy that he is, and Im so excited to learn from him and help serve him in anyway.

Transaction: Saints sign Jameis Winston

QUESTION: "Do you still have the Brees autograph?"

WINSTON: I lost that Drew Brees autograph. It was a Hoover Bucs football picture that he autographed for me. And I had a wallet one of those big, fat wallets that people dont have anymore. And I lost it. I think I lost it on the bus. It didnt have any money in it. Aint nobody got rich, but they got my picture.

DOUG MILLER (Football communications director and teleconference moderator): Well work on getting you another one.

QUESTION:"What do you feel like you need to get done this season?"

WINSTON: What I need to get done is I need to be a great teammate. I need to serve our team and I need to be competing every day. One thing I do take pride in is being competitive, and Im going to do my best to be the best football player I can be. This sport, even though Im coming to New Orleans (as a backup), I still love this game. And were going to play a lot of football, and were going to win a lot of games.

QUESTION:"What are the specific aspects of the game you need to improve?"

Leaving Tampa Bay: Winston has had an up-and-down career

WINSTON:Yeah, every year I have a different set of goals and set of things I want to get better at. But one thing that Im really excited to learn the most exciting thing is just the way that this quarterback roomfunctions. Whats Coach Paytons approach to every week?Whats Drews approach to this week?What is Taysom (Hill) doing in the room that I can add to my game? Just trying to find different things by serving this team and learning from everybody that I can. Even from Doug (Miller) in the meeting room, just trying to learn as much as I can to be the best I can be.

QUESTION: "You had other offers for more money and with options to start, right?"

WINSTON: "Yes. I did. But Im a New Orleans Saint, and thats what my focus is. I think this was definitely one of the best opportunities for me to grow as a quarterback and as a professional in this league. So, Im going to do my best to take full advantage of this opportunity that was presented to me.

QUESTION: "Were you ever not the guy?"

WINSTON: Every day Im learning from someone else. This isnt going to be relatively new. The only thing thats going to be new is that Im not the guy. But to myself, Im still the guy. Im going to approach every day like Im the guy, and I think thats what that quarterback room brings up. When you see what happened last year with the amount of playing time that Taysom and Teddy (Bridgewater) got. Im not saying that Im going to expect that this year, but those guys were prepared.

"And thats what Im going to be. Im going to be prepared for whatever. Being a quarterback, you have to be a student of the game. So, now I actually get a chance to dive into that more. And I actually have a Hall of Fame quarterback that Im learning from, opposed to trying to learn by myself or use Google."

New Quarterback in Town: Tampa Bay signs Tom Brady

QUESTION: "Did you talk to Teddy Bridgewater?"

WINSTON: Yeah, I talked to Teddy, and Im really just talking to him because Im so happy for the opportunity he has in Carolina and the chance to compete against him twice a year. I talked to him, and he really loved the quarterback room. That was one of the big things. How they work and the things he was able to learn and apply to his game to make him a better leader and a better quarterback.

QUESTION: "Will you be setting yourself up for a future outside the Saints or here?"

Trader Sean: Getting Tommy Stevens in the 7th round tooksubterfuge

WINSTON: "Yeah. Im focused on the primary opportunity to get to work with Drew Brees, Sean Payton, Taysom Hilland Tommy Stevens (7th-round quarterback choice in the draft) and Coach Joe Lombardi (quarterbacks coach) and Coach PeteCarmichael (offensive coordinator), and Coach D.J. Williams (offensive assistant) that is my opportunity. Thats the biggest and most important opportunity that I have right now, and Im definitely not looking forward or looking ahead, right? Im focused on this, what I got right now. Well have that conversation next year or years down the road. Who knows? I didnt think I was going to be in this position at this time last year. But God had a different plan, and Im excited for the plan that he has for me now moving forward.

QUESTION: "Did you pursue a starting job with other teams?"

WINSTON: "I think anybody thats been a starting quarterback in this league, they want to have an opportunity to compete and be the starting quarterback inthis league. But when you really think about the progression of a football player, when you have an opportunity to be in the same division, to work with a coach who is as successful and as smart as Sean Payton, and work with a quarterback who will be whenever he decides to retire, hes going to probably get escorted to the Hall of Fame.

I dont think really you can beat that, regardless of what it is, especially if you believe in yourself. If you believe in the ability that you have and you believe, and really if you have faith that you will become a starting quarterback again, you take this opportunity in a heartbeat to work with these amazing group of men.

Opinion: The virtual draft was something to watch

QUESTION: "Do you look at the second careerof a quarterback like Ryan Tannehill (who left Miami and became the starter at Tennessee)?"

WINSTON: Yes I do. I do draw inspiration from that. It shows his resilience. It shows the other quarterbacks' ability to put things behind and press forward. I was watching the movie 'Onward'with my son the other day. And thats just an amazing word, Onward. And thats what Im doing. Im pressing onward, and like I said Im going to do my best to be the best quarterback I can be for this organization and help serve my teammates.

QUESTION: "Is improving on turnovers (interceptions), is that No. 1? Or are you unapologetic in that you're willing to take some risks?"

WINSTON: Yeah. Ball security is the primary part of our position, but also getting the ball to ourguys and getting the ball in their hands so they can make some plays. Its the most important piece. Im going to address every part of my game. Not just one part, because my goal is to be a perfectionist. My goal is to work and actually apply work so we can get results. And thats what Im working for.

QUESTION: "How has the recent laser surgery on your vision helped?"

WINSTON: Listen, no blurriness, and I think thats huge. Depth perception has increased tremendously. And those are the big things. I didnt have bad eyes. I just had those. I had astigmatism. I had certain things that they had to fix to increase the precision and the sharpness of my vision. And thats the biggest thing. I can say this. When youre riding in a car, lets say you get into an accident, but you cant read the license plate of the person who you just hit, and they just ran off because they didnt have insurance, right? Stuff like that. Like I can read license plates. I can read street signs. I think the precision in the vision is the biggest difference.

QUESTION: "And how are you after the knee surgery (for a torn miniscus)?"

WINSTON:Yeah, it was a scope, man. Youve got to check out my Instagramand see me working out, bro. You got to follow me. Follow me on IG.

QUESTION: "You've lost some weight in the off-season?"

Opinion: To Sean Payton, the draft is always in Vegas

WINSTON: Well, Im going to tell you a funny story, OK. Dont get too comfortable with this because you're new to me, so Im going to share a story with you all.The place that I had my surgery was in Birmingham, Alabama, and I got a chance to work with a physical therapist that Drew is very familiar with Kevin Wilk. This is actually the same place that I met Drew and got his autograph for the first time. Working with him, Kevin, really inspired me to just focus on being as healthy as I possibly can.

"And Dr. (Jeffrey) Dugas, who performed the surgery on me, Ive known him since I was 12 years old. He said, Hey man, we want you to get as healthy as possible, and this is a great time to work on your body, work on getting everything else up underneath you because you had this tear for three years. And now its time to just heal up your whole body. Eat great food.' So, I decided to go Vegan (vegetable diet). Ive been Vegan for the past three months, four months. And its just changed my body drastically. I do cheat every Saturday. Ill eat some chicken or something. I cant be Superman. Id be like 210 pounds. But I think those two individuals really inspired me to just use this time recovering from my knee and focus on my body, focus on how I can be the best athlete, best quarterback I possibly can be.

QUESTION: "What do you think about having the Superdome crowd now pulling for you instead of against you?"

WINSTON: "Man, Im so happy. Because the Superdome gets rocking, and just being from Alabama, being a Southern kid, you know football is really, really important. If you dont like football in Alabama, they'd probably send you back with the stork that dropped you off. But we love football. And New Orleans fans, they love football. And the funny thing is, my wife, her entire family is from Louisiana the New Orleans area. So, shes just so happy. And if you have a happy wife, you have a happy life. So, thats pretty big.

QUESTION: "What about being teammates with your former division rivals?"

WINSTON: Ive seen Demario Davis. Ive seen Cam Jordan. Ive seen numerous New Orleans Saints players at the Christian athletic conference that the NFL hosts every year. And Im great friends with those guys, but its different when youre competing.

QUESTION: "Do you feel like fans know who you really are?'

WINSTON: I dont know. I cant really answer that question. But thats one thing that Ive just been trying to do is try to let the fans know who I am via social media, and let them see me.

QUESTION: "Do you feel like you've matured?"

WINSTON:It all starts with my faith. And I know Ive grown closer to my lord and savior, Jesus Christ, tremendously. And thats what really just leads the pack, just living for Gods glory, and not for the approval of the Man, or the approval of anyone else. My main focus is to serve my lord and savior to the best of my ability. I know Ive grown and matured. And Im also a father. Being a father to a 1-year-old son that looks just like you, and you have to make an imprint on his life, teaching him and showing him how to have character and how to act when no one is looking. And I have a wife who I have to love and cherish, and I plan on doing that.

"One thing my trainer always talks about is, 'Being a better man can make you a better football player, but being a better football player would not make you a better man.' I think I really am learning and mastering. Thats an every day thing. No one is perfect. I do believe that being a better man has made me a better football player.

The Saints are reloading to give Drew Brees another shot at reaching the Super Bowl.(Photo: Derick Hingle, USA TODAY Sports)

QUESTION: "How do you feel about Brees as someone who helps teammates?"

WINSTON: Its who he is. Its his essence. When youre who you are, you cant really avoid that. And thats just the person that he is. A God-fearing, courageous, high-character, elite quarterback, Super Bowl-winning quarterback, Super Bowl MVP, future Hall of Famer, father, husband, great teammate Drew Brees. Thats him.

QUESTION: "What jersey will you wear?"

WINSTON: I want No. 2, honestly. Thats the number I want. Hopefully. Thats my favorite number. I couldnt get No. 2 at Florida State because of Deion Sanders. And couldnt get No. 2 in high school, one of my receivers had it. And now I can, if its available.

MILLER: "That's going to do it."

WINSTON: "Thank you guys. Thank you for being available. Thank you for accepting me. I look forward to our relationships together, and appreciate you.

Originally posted here:
New Saints QB Jameis Winston lost his Brees autograph from 2006, but now he's his teammate - Daily Advertiser

While good eyesight and a steady hand have always been crucial in marksmanship, there have been plenty of tools that have given the shooter an edge. One of the most important could be the "Holographic Weapons Sights" (HWS) developed by Michigan-based EOTech.

Back in 1996, the company which evolved from a non-profit research institute first developed a prototype holographic-based weapon sight for use in U.S. Army helicopter gunships and anti-aircraft artillery systems. Then in 1993 ERIM formed the Michigan Development Corporation (MDC) to commercialize technology that could be spun off as for-profit subsidiaries and in 1995 this lead to the creation of EOTech.

This led to the first-generation HWS, which was marked under the trade name Bushnell HoloSight a product that won the Optic of the Year Award from the Shooting Industry Academy of Excellence. In 2001 the military and law enforcement communities adopted the HWS sights, and in 2005 Special Operations (SOCOM) and the United States Marine Corps chose HWS as their standard close combat optic.

Advantages of HWS

The primary advantage of HWS is that it provides an extremely fast and easy target acquisition for operators in the field, and this includes both eyes open for engagement, which allows for full peripheral vision and situational awareness something that is crucial for those in combat situations. The sight's anti-reflective coatings and flat front window further minimize image distortion and muzzle side reflection, while the sights also offer optimal off-axis usage when proper cheek weld or sight alignment isn't possible.

HWS technology has an advantage over standard "Red Dot" sights the latter utilizing an LED light source and reflex sight. The HWS system instead is built around a laser diode, folding mirror, collimating reflector and holographic grating. The holographic reticle can even continue to function when the window is broken or obscured, something no other sight can do.

The HWS also utilizes a "Speed Ring" reticle, so that the outside to outside of the circle equals a 5-foot 9-inch man at 100 yards. The all-weather sights are water-resistant to thee to 10 meters depending on model, and will perform in temperatures ranging from -4F to 1224F.

Unlike most Red Dot sights, HWS is also night vision-compatible, offers a wide field-of-view, even when used with a helmet or weapon-mounted night-vision devices. An NV toggle button also allows operators to instantly switch from NV to daylight to the last setting used. The sights offer adjustable reticle brightness with 30 settings for NV models and 20 for all non-NV models.

Commitment to Quality

The Southeast Michigan company was acquired in 2005 by L3 Technologies, one the world's largest defense contractors with more than $9.6 billion in sales in 2017. EOTech is also the only consumer facing division and it currently operates out of a 30,000 square foot facility that is truly a mix of traditional assembly line production utilizing skills workers with high-tech quality control to produce truly cutting edge products.

Part of the Michigan-based company's commitment to quality was to repair its reputation and trust with customers following the civil fraud lawsuit that involved defective rifle sights. That included parent company L3 Technologies paying $25.6 million to settle a lawsuit that accused the defense firm of reportedly knowingly selling optics that failed in extreme temperatures and humid weather conditions. In 2017 the company even held a voluntary buyback of sights, and the defective products were then sent to be crushed and destroyed.

EOTech was awarded a $26.3 million five-year contract from the U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) to provide close-quarters sights and clip-on magnifiers for the Miniature Aiming SystemDay Optics suite.

Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer who has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers and websites. He is the author of several books on military headgear including A Gallery of Military Headdress, which is available on Amazon.com.

Read more here:
EOTech's Holographic Weapons Sights Are Simply Amazing - The National Interest

If a well-meaning neighbour offered to do your lockdown shopping, would you be brave enough to ask for a bottle of sherry and a bag of cheese and onion crisps? Visually impaired campaigner Anna Tylor did just that, as she describes wryly on her blog.

Anna was struggling to get her usual supermarket delivery slot as blind and partially sighted people in the UK are not classified as clinically extremely vulnerable so are not automatically entitled to food parcels, priority supermarket deliveries or help with basic care needs.

Aside from diabetes, the commonest causes of visual impairment in Europe are age-related macular disease, inherited retinal diseases, and glaucoma. These conditions affect only the eyes and do not cause greater susceptibility to COVID-19 or any other communicable disease. But consider the challenges faced by a visually impaired person going to a supermarket during lockdown.

Most people registered as sight impaired have some vision. With magnifiers or high powered glasses they can often read price labels and packet descriptions but only from a couple of centimetres. Many use smartphone apps to read printed text aloud, or barcode scanners to identify products. Braille readers need to touch packets to read labels.

These techniques maintain independence in normal times. Now, though, many visually impaired people are concerned by having to touch multiple items, moving them closer to their eyes, and spending longer in a potentially virus-laden environment.

Supermarkets usually allow a staff member to accompany a visually impaired person around the shop. Now, though, this would mean spending more time in close contact with a potential asymptomatic carrier. Social distancing is even more difficult for people with reduced hearing as well as bad eyesight. It is far harder to hear someone from two metres away than from 50 cm, and there are worrying reports of tactile interpreters for deafblind people not being available in healthcare settings.

Kelly Carver, a man in his 50s who has progressively lost vision due to retinitis pigmentosa, told me about social distancing with a white cane.

I guess as a low vision person, I have the right of way and people need to heed the 6ft distance from me. Still, thats not particularly comforting. I dont want to foist that upon others.

At home, people who cant see well and live alone face challenges in reading use-by dates, checking cooking instructions on a food packet, or making sure theyre taking the right dose of medication.

Those with tech skills and good internet connections might use video-calling, artificial intelligence apps such as Seeing AI or crowdsourced assistance like BeMyEyes. Inclusive design means new technology has been widely adopted by people with visual impairment. However, people without these devices might rely on volunteers from sight loss charities, many of which are no longer offering home visits.

But some people with visual impairment dont want to have special dispensations made for them. A fit and healthy 21-year old woman who happens to have poor vision may not want to be included on a list of the most vulnerable people in the country.

When only one in four blind or partially sighted people is in employment, and nearly 40% of visually impaired graduates are out of work, classifying people who dont see well as being in need of more support might send the wrong signal to employers and wider society.

Anna Tylor is worried about the competing needs of people at high clinical risk from Covid-19 and those vulnerable from sight loss:

Im horrified that disabled people have been displaced by vulnerable groups, thus creating a two tier vulnerable system.

Some help is available. If people with visual impairment can get through on the phone to their supermarket they can ask to be put onto a priority delivery list. Staff in shops will still help on request, usually separated by the length of a trolley.

The London Taxicard scheme has been extended to pick up and deliver essential supplies. Neighbours, communities and mutual aid groups will help with essential shopping and safe social contact.

How can you best help someone with visual impairment during lockdown? #AskDontGrab, as blind Twitter users emphasise. Give people distance if you think theyre struggling to see you. Dont shout at people who accidentally encroach on your space. Announce who you are, and tell people when youre leaving so they dont end up speaking into thin air.

Read more here:
What coronavirus crisis means for blind and partially sighted people - The Conversation UK