Fast-Switching, High-Contrast, Electrochromic Sunwear for Persons with Age-Relate

描述：年龄相关性黄斑变性（ARMD）折磨bbb40 %的bbb60人口。70%的美国视障人群是> 60；其中，ARMD是造成损伤的最大原因。ARMD的一个主要特征是无法适应光/暗（L/D），导致室内/室外的功能性视力丧失。目前还没有一种经过验证的、实用的、无创的治疗ARMD的药物或手术方法适用于所有患者。目前严重不足的补救措施：(1)在L/D之间快速戴上/取下多层太阳镜。(2)慢开关光致变色剂（需要紫外光激活，不完全开关25-30秒，完成3-5分钟，不要在车内/室内工作）。(3)昂贵的抗血管生成药物，低视力辅助，光动力治疗（或有限缓解）。(4)手术，多为“终末期”ARMD，如：望远镜植入（仅部分视力）；激光光凝（仅用于非中央凹下ARMD）；黄斑下、视网膜下手术（成功率有限）。这一解决方案将大大改善40%的60岁以下的ARMD患者的生活质量/福祉，以及患有其他与年龄有关的疾病的患者，如糖尿病视网膜病变、角膜营养不良、视网膜色素变性、瓦格纳综合征、视网膜脱落。在早期的工作中，我们的团队广泛研究了亚特兰大退伍军人中心60岁的ARMD退伍军人，表明他们可以从基于液晶（lc）的快速变暗（< 5秒）电致变色（EC）眼镜中获益，而不是多种太阳镜/光致变色眼镜；然而，LC眼镜有严重的缺点。在目前的第一阶段，一项突破性的基于导电聚合物（CPs）的EC技术被证明：(1)完全匹配，互补着色的CPs，产生典型的L/D对比度70%/10% （380-760 nm，行业标准算法）。(2)价格低廉（< 3美元）的控制器，其算法产生的开关时间比传统电压控制快5倍（L-> d1 2至4秒，D-> d1 1秒）；完全

DESCRIPTION: Age-Related Macular Degeneration (ARMD) afflicts > 40% of the >60 population. > 70% of US visually impaired population is > 60; within this, ARMD is the largest cause of impairment. A primary feature of ARMD is inability to adapt between light/dark (L/D), leading to loss in functional vision indoors/ outdoors. There is currently no proven, practical, noninvasive-medical or surgical treatment for ARMD applicable to all patients. Current highly inadequate remedies: (1) Multiple layers of sunglasses put on/taken off rapidly between L/D. (2) V. slow-switching photochromics (need UV light for activation, incomplete switching 25-30 s, complete 3-5 min., don't work inside cars/indoors). (3) Expensive anti-angiogenic drugs, low-vision aids, photodynamic therapy (v. limited relief). (4) Surgery, mostly for "end-stage" ARMD, e.g.: telescope implant (only partial vision); laser photo-coagulation (only for non-sub-foveal ARMD); submacular, subretinal surgery (limited success). A solution would greatly improve the quality of life/well-being of the 40% of age >60 adults afflicted with ARMD, as well as persons with other, age-related diseases, e.g. diabetic retinopathy, corneal dystrophy, retinitis pigmentosa, Wagner syndrome, retinoschesis. In earlier work, our group extensively studied age >60 ARMD veterans at Atlanta VA Center, showing they could benefit highly from fast-darkening (< 5 s) electrochromic (EC) glasses based on liquid crystals (LCs), vs. multiple sunglasses/-photochromics; LC glasses however had serious drawbacks. In present Phase I, a breakthrough EC technology based on Conducting Polymers (CPs) was demonstrated with: (1) perfectly matched, complimentarily coloring CPs, yielding typical L/D contrast 70%/10% (380-760 nm, industry-standard algorithm). (2) Inexpensive (< $3) Controller with algorithm yielding switching times > 5X faster than with conventional voltage control (L->D 2 to 4 s, D->L 1 s); fully automated, photosensor control. (3) V. thin, flexible, durable. (4) Cyclability > 10^5 cycles. (5) Excellent optical memory. (6) V. low power (15 uW/cm2, +/- 3.0 VDC). (7) Est. < $27/pair. (8) High current potentiostat developed, (< $200/unit), dramatically reducing manufacture cost. Proposed work will: (1) Complete final tech refinement (mainly lower-resistivity, thinner ITO substrates to dramatically enhance switching time and L/D contrast). (2) Fabricate prototypes of 3 distinct product designs. (3) Optimize by testing on ARMD patients at Atlanta VA Center (75 subjects age > 55, ARMD + other age-related eye diseases). (4) Further miniaturize, manufacture Controller, battery. (5) Complete initial producn. optimizn. studies. (6) Initial pilot plant, 100-glasses-pairs/month. (7) Scale up: 1000 to 10,000 glasses/month, resolve automation issues, est. product costs. (8) Establish relationships with selected contract manufacturers, marketing tie-ups. A successful Phase II will also yield electrochromics that could replace entire photochromics market, thus dramatically lowering costs for ARMD sunglasses. Joint effort with Atlanta VA Rehab R&D Ctr. for Aging Vision Loss, two industrial automation firms, several eyewear distributors.