Ophthalmology software startup Eyedaptic Inc. in Laguna Beach said it has completed a successful clinical trial for its augmented reality glasses, which are designed to improve quality of life for those suffering from macular degeneration—nearly 150 million people worldwide.
The disease affects a patients’ central vision but not their peripheral vision, according to Chief Executive Jay Cormier. It’s the leading cause of vision loss in adults over 60 years old. Eyedaptic’s glasses are designed to optimize vision and enable a fuller field of vision, thereby helping patients maintain their independence.
The clinical trial tested not just visual acuity—reading letters on a chart—but improvement in real-life tasks such as close-up reading, spotting cans in a grocery store, and reading a sign.
The trial protocol was designed by Dr. Rebecca Kammer of the University of California-Irvine’s Gavin Herbert Eye Institute.
Company co-founder Dr. Mitul Mehta is a UCI professor and institute director; Dr. Baruch Kuppermann, director of the eye institute, serves on Eyedaptic’s board of advisers.
The company was founded in 2016, and has been largely funded through private investors. Eyedaptic is now in beta testing to confirm its glasses are market-ready.
