THE FUTURE IS IN SIGHT! - Science Fiction has become science fact. Geordi LaForge of 'The Next Generation' Star Trek series wore a prosthetic device to correct his blindness and give him a scientific approximation of sight. Now, thanks to science and medicine, there is a real-life, modern day version of that same device. The Pennsylvania College of Optometry has unveiled a goggles/helmet headset that is a 20th century version of the visor worn by the Star Trek Chief Engineer in the 24th century. The new device, the Low Vision Enhancement System (called LVES and pronounced "Elvis"),is now available only at the William Feinbloom Vision Rehabilitation Center of the Pennsylvania College Of Optometry in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Teenager Chris Escuti of Cherry Hill is one of the first people to use the device on a daily basis. He is coming to Feinbloom for a follow-up evaluation. Chris suffered optic nerve damage as a result of radiation treatments for a brain tumor.

LVES, a video headset which electronically manipulates images, was developed by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and Johns Hopkins Medical Center. LVES is worn as a head-mounted video display and serves as a real-time electronic magnifier and allows the user to tune the focus, magnification and contrast. It contains three miniature video cameras, two miniature television screens and a series of finely tuned mirrors.

(Thanks to Roberta McGowan, publicist for the Pennsylvania College Of Optometry in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, for permission to use this press release).

Original Author's Note: This device is a modern-day miracle. If science, medicine and technology can achieve this level of vision enhancement with current day techniques, it makes me wonder what kind of advances will be evident in the twenty-fourth century! Geordi's visor will seem like the first set of spectacles in comparison...

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