Effective April 16, 2015
Bensalem, Pa. and Fairfax, Va – LC Technologies, an industry-leading developer of eye tracking software and NuShield, Inc., an industry leader in screen protector and glare-elimination technology, teamed up to bring communication mobility to disabled patients who cannot communicate through speech or hand motion.
Until recently, bulky LCD monitors with matte screen finish had to be used because tablets, which are light and mobile, have a glossy surface that generate glare and disrupt proper eye tracking function. However, it is imperative that these tablets are adapted to provide patient mobility and ease of operation. LC Technologies reached out to NuShield for a solution to this problem. Once the NuShield Triple A film was installed on the tablet surface it eliminated the glare and allowed the users to operate the system comfortably. The Triple A film provides anti-glare, anti-fingerprint and anti-microbial protection, making it the ideal choice for use in a variety of environments, including patient care.
LC Technologies can now load its software on numerous platforms such as the Asus and Microsoft tablets, which only weigh a few pounds, better empowering patients with disabilities to communicate and interact with the world. The Eyegaze Edge software is an eye-operated communications system using a camera to follow the user’s eye movement and allow the patient to control keys and cells displayed on the screen just by looking at different points on the screen. The company also offers the Eyegaze Edge Talker, a dedicated speech generating device that lets a patient pre-program phrases and unique messages for verbal communication. Both systems offer superior accuracy, fully automatic operation, and high reliability.
The Eyegaze tracking technology provides a lifeline for people with disabilities such as ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease), brain injury, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, spinal cord injury, stroke, spinal muscular atrophy and brainstem stroke. LC Technologies is working with hospitals to introduce the tablets into intensive care units to help patients with tracheal tubes inserted to communicate with the nursing staff.
Eye tracker software is based on a video camera that observes the eye movement and produces high resolution images which are digitized and analyzed. A light-emitting diode illuminates the eye and produces a reflection on the surface of the eye and well as reflecting off the retina to provide critical geometric information about the orientation of the eyeball. The essential part of the eye tracker is the image processing function that identifies the eyes within the images, measures the geometric features of the eye elements, and computes the spatial positions and orientations of the eyes. The eye tracker projects the special location of the eye’s gaze points and expresses it as x-y screen coordinates.
The NuShield Triple A antiglare, anti-fingerprint film provides excellent screen visibility. The antiglare property diffuses glare from overhead or window light and allows users to interact with the display. The antiglare property also prevents the transmission and reflection of 99% UVB ultra violet light from reaching the user’s eyes, which can cause eye-strain and computer vision syndrome. The film uses a low-tack adhesive to attach to the screen surface. It can be cleaned with disinfectants and solvents while the anti-microbial property remains to continually inhibit the growth of germs on the film surface. Typical equipment using the antiglare film include the iPad or PC tablets, monitoring displays, patient warning devices, lab equipment with LCD or LED interfaces, laptop computers, non-critical monitors and television screens up to 80 inch diagonal.
LC Technologies, based in Fairfax, VA was founded in 1986 by a group of engineers who pioneered the development of eye tracking technology, which is now available in 44 countries. Its award-winning Eyegaze Systems have a long-standing reputation for accuracy, reliability, and ease-of-use. There are a wide range of applications but the first systems were designed to enable severely disabled individuals to communicate using only their eyes. To date, this technology is being implemented in research, national defense, gaming, virtual worlds, hospitals, and many more. Additional information about LC Technologies and its product solutions can be found at Eyegaze.com.
NuShield Inc, based in Bensalem, PA was founded in 1998 and has been the leading provider of screen protectors used in the largest variety of electronic devices. To date, NuShield offers films for over 12,000 electronic devices with LCD, LED and Plasma displays ranging from one inch to 80 inch diagonal. The company sells its products directly to end users, integrators, manufacturers and distributors on its website worldwide. There are three different film types offered; DayVue antireflective film for display visibility in direct sunlight, Triple A antiglare film for indoor applications and the NuShield AG antiglare film for monitors and laptops used indoors up to 50 inch diagonal where a non-adhesive film installation is preferred. Additional information about NuShield and its product solutions can be found at NuShield.com