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AI Innovations Transforming Eye Care and Presbyopia Treatment

Main image for a BOLD Awards blog on AI innovations improving healthtech to tackle eye care needs

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Cases of vision impairment continue to rise worldwide. The World Health Organization estimates that roughly a billion people currently experience refractive errors that affect their near or far vision, such as presbyopia. If left untreated, some of these conditions can potentially raise people’s likelihood of experiencing vision loss. Increased access to appropriate eye care healthtech will help everyone.

Image in a blog about presbyopia treatment through eye care healthtech
AI is transforming eye care healthtech, such as for presbyopia treatment. Image source: Pexels

Yet out of all of them, only one refractive error results in diagnoses virtually impossible to avoid for anyone aged 40 and up: presbyopia. This condition occurs as the eyes age and become less flexible, taking away from their ability to view objects up close. As such, it’s also known as age-related farsightedness. 

 Currently, glasses, contact lenses, and surgical treatments are available to correct presbyopia. Yet with more countries across the globe reporting aging populations, cases are skyrocketing—the US alone is already home to over 128 million presbyopes—and the eye care industry is set to experience strain as it strives to accommodate a skyrocketing number of cases at various stages of progression.

To ease that strain, more of the industry is beginning to adopt emerging technologies, with AI particularly favored for its effectiveness. Here are a few of the AI-powered innovations helping expand eye care healthtech detection and treatment options for presbyopia: 

Improved exams 

Out-of-pocket costs, age-related mobility issues, and inaccurate prescriptions are all factors that can hinder presbyopia diagnosis and treatment via eye exam. To resolve these concerns, eye care healthtech company Eyebot recently developed a kiosk-style machine that can assess vision health, detect various eye conditions, and provide a remotely-approved prescription in as little as 90 seconds.

Using AI-generated diagnostics, an Eyebot vision test can accurately diagnose presbyopia—and specify its severity—in adults 65 and younger, and only charges a fee if its results indicate the need for vision correction. Eyebot’s kiosks are currently in the process of rolling out across the country’s retail spaces, where they will soon improve the accessibility and accuracy of the services required by potential and existing presbyopes. 

Enhanced customization 

Reading or reader glasses are considered the most affordable yet effective option available for presbyopia correction. Today’s design innovations ensure that they can be customized for diverse vision and lifestyle needs, with modern readers currently able to accommodate different magnification powers and coming in UV-protective, blue light-blocking, and progressive variants that combine multiple prescriptions.

Existing technologies help streamline the process of customization. The website features on Readers.com illustrate that, with power selectors, quick find tools, and frame finders available for narrowing down its vast catalog of reading glasses. Today, AI is taking that even further by improving lens design to provide more detailed customization options. Here, Marx Optical stands out for offering digitally designed progressive readers. Its use of AI allows lenses in its Versatile collection to more seamlessly blend multiple prescriptions, unlike traditional progressives that have a clear demarcation separating areas of the lens correcting vision at different distances.

This innovation allows readers to more precisely meet the unique vision requirements of various presbyopes.

Innovative adaptability 

As AI becomes more sophisticated, an increasing number of eyewear companies continue to perfect the design for smart glasses. In the Ray-Ban Meta, a generative AI assistant enhances hands-free features such as live translation and caption generation for social media. Meanwhile, the Vuzix Z100 pairs AI with an AR display, resulting in a versatile tool that streamlines workflows for productivity.

Even more AI smart glasses are penetrating the eye care space. One standout is the Varilux XR series from EssilorLuxottica. Like progressive readers, their lenses can handily correct multiple refractive errors. Uniquely, however, they use AI so they can adapt depending on what the wearer is looking at.

The Varilux algorithm was trained using over 1 million data points sourced from real-life wear tests and presbyopia research, resulting in AI readers that can analyze eye movements to instantly provide sharp vision over various distances. That enhanced adaptability helps this innovation surpass common hurdles with readers that can hinder presbyopia treatment, including limited vision correction, lens misalignment, and motion sickness. 

For more on the latest in the digital space, keep reading here on the official BOLD Awards website.

BOLD Awards VI, 2025

The entry deadline for BOLD Awards VI has now closed. However, in addition to category finalists, non-entrants can request a VIP Invitation to attend the BOLD Awards gala dinner. These are strictly limited in number, and provide a rare opportunity to be part of a unique celebration to highlight and reward multiple forms of outstanding digital innovation. Network with some of the world’s finest innovators, entrepreneurs and disruptors, plus the category sponsors!

Winners will be announced to collect their awards at the gala dinner in Lisbon, Portugal, on Friday March 28th, 2025. This BOLD Awards VI edition is supported through strategic partnerships with APDC (Portuguese Association for the Development of Communications) and Unicorn Factory Lisboa, two prominent organizations dedicated to fostering innovation and entrepreneurial success.

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Nicolette Johnson
Nicolette Johnson is a freelance writer dedicated to filling in the gaps on the public's awareness from eye health. With her pieces, she aims to cover all the new innovations in eye care and share their benefits with the individuals who can benefit from them the most. In her free time, you'll find her relaxing at home or riding on horseback.

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