Concussions remain one of the most serious injuries suffered during physical activity, especially in sports. However, a recent study shows less than half of all patients who see a doctor for concussion bother to seek follow up care for vision-related issues that could be treated.
Leading eye care and vision providers are at a loss for the reason or reasons why individuals do not seek further care or treatment, often even when they are showing symptoms of visual impairment. Several vision companies are at the forefront of vision care including National Vision Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: EYE), Novartis (NYSE: NVS) and Allergan (NYSE: AGN) who all treat various vision issues from near sightedness and astigmatism to more serious issues like glaucoma.
The researchers at Eyecarrot Innovations have begun dealing with the issue of concussion and brain-to-eye connection with a different approach. As a research and development driven company, Eyecarrot Innovations (TSX.V: EYC) (OTC: EYCCF) believes that there may simpler, less expensive and more accessible ways to treat this huge market with non-conventional therapies, such as its Binovi™ System now available.
Study Shows Neglect by Patients
In the US, millions suffer concussions every year, but despite the possibility of follow-up repercussions like brain damage and visual impairment, only about 44 percent of patients see a physician within three months of suffering a concussion. This is according to a study of 831 patients conducted by a team of multinational health experts. Further, the study found that only about 47 percent of concussion sufferers seek educative material on their injury before going home. It was especially alarming that even patients who experienced post-concussive symptoms failed to see a healthcare provider.
Vision Problems Are Significant
Today, one in four, or nearly 2 billion, people worldwide have varying degrees of impairment in their OMS system caused by factors such as developmental issues, illness, brain injuries, occupational hazards or aging of the human body. These impairments can derail a child’s learning, sideline a professional athlete or take away a senior’s ability to drive.
The CDC estimates that between 3.2 million to 5.3 million Americans live with long-term health effects associated with concussions and brain injury. When their brains were examined using a CT scan, around 28 percent of participants in the study had lesions, an important indicator of potential brain damage. 40 percent of those patients had not sought help from a health provider within three months of concussing. Since the ocular system is closely linked to the brain, various visual problems ranging in seriousness from eye movement problems to blindness can occur.
In a bid to help visual impairment victims, Eyecarrot Innovations acquired patents related to various products used in used to monitor and correct brain-to-eye problems. The company also acquired Wayne Engineering, a company that specializes in vision training products. One of the company’s most important innovations is the Saccadic Fixator, which is a globally-recognized industry standard for monitoring various visual system functions.
An Accessible Alternate Solution
The Binovi™ Saccadic System is developed on the basis of the neuronal connections between the brain and the eyes. According to Dr. Selwyn Super, who is the Chief Scientific Director at Eyecarrot, half of the 12 pairs of cranial nerves have a connection to visual system. While the Binovi Saccadic System greatly enhances access to corrective therapy for eye problems, Eyecarrot sees the pooling of expert knowledge and patient experiences as the most important aspect of the platform.
According to Dr. Super, most visual performance issues go untreated, or misdiagnosed and attended with medication or corrective aids like glasses or surgery.
Eyecarrot has created an industry-first solution with their mobile Binovi™ (for Binocular Vision) platform called Binovi™. The system integrates software, hardware, data and most importantly, the expert knowledge of the world’s best vision care professionals. It empowers professionals to develop, manage and track personalized treatment plans for each patient.
Good Reasons to Consider an Alternative
Eyecarrot has secured the first-to-market position as a mobile app company in the vision care space through its highly developed network of experts in the field. It’s now leveraging that network along with its embedded network of over 2000 hardware devices used by about 4,000 professionals in over 22 countries.
By aggregating data from potentially millions of patients, the system promises to help fine tune solutions to a great extent. Eyecarrot estimates that the platform could benefit between 3 million and 4 million patients who suffer from vision problems as a result of concussions and brain injury alone. The overall market for vision therapy treatment is much bigger, and is largely unserved.
In the study cited, researchers recommended that hospitals should do a better job of initiating follow-up care for patients of concussions. Patients and doctors should be empowered to identify when follow-up care is needed. By combining better follow-up care for concussion victims with tools like the ones developed by Eyecarrot, there could be a significant reduction in the number of patients suffering from post-concussive vision loss or impairment.
Companies making major contributions to vision therapy and eye health patient access include:
Cognex Corporation (NASDAQ: CGNX) provides machine vision products that capture and analyze visual information in order to automate tasks primarily in manufacturing processes worldwide.
National Vision Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: EYE) through its subsidiaries, operates as a retailer and manufacturer of eyeglasses and value retailer of contact lenses. The company operates through Owned and Host, and Legacy segments.
Novartis AG (NYSE: NVS) researches, develops, manufactures, and markets a range of healthcare products worldwide. The Alcon segment offers eye care products, such as eye care devices for cataract, retinal, glaucoma, and refractive surgery, as well as intraocular lenses to treat cataracts and refractive errors; viscoelastics, surgical solutions, surgical packs, products for cataract and vitreoretinal surgery; and contact lenses, as well as contact lens care products.
For a more information on EYC and the brain to eye connection see an in-depth article at USA News Group: http://usanewsgroup.com/2018/05/23/vision-therapy-the-market-size-is-huge-the-investment-opportunity-is-even-larger/
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