evSpex wearable displays offer a huge boost in quality of life to people with degenerative eye diseases. The company’s technology also has applications in the multi-billion-dollar sports and events markets

When Conrad Lewis has a vision, he executes. The irony is that this Ottawa technology veteran is affected by vision loss, as are two of his sisters and his wife. Convinced that life can be dramatically improved for sight-impaired people, Lewis created eSight Corp. in 2006. Using many of the technologies he was responsible for  bringing to life as a senior executive at Mitel Networks and Newbridge Networks, Lewis’ eSight is creating evSpex, a high-tech wearable display. 

As people age they become susceptible to loss of vision due to a wide array of inoperable retinal diseases. Although the resulting visual impairment can result in legal blindness, some limited level of functional vision is still possible.

evSpex leverage digital image capture, software image processing, and advanced display techniques to optimize the remaining functional regions of a person’s field of vision.

For those who suffer from Age Related Macular Degeneration, Diabetic Retinopathy, Glaucoma, Retinitis Pigmentosa, and an assortment of other retinal diseases, eSight wearable display technology can dramatically improve quality of life. 

eSight's evSpex can also enhance almost any visual experience. Imagine attending a live sporting event or your favorite concert and having the ability to zoom in, grab a video, or even view an instant replay while everyone around you just thought you were wearing sunglasses!

eSight estimates its potential markets are part of the $20 billion spent annually on merchandising at sporting events, and the $8 billion spent helping people with low vision.

Why Ottawa

To turn evSpex from an idea to technology accessible to vision-impaired people around the world, eSight has assembled a veteran team from Ottawa’s deep pool of tech exec talent. 

eSight’s President Dan Mathers was chief executive officer at Icefyre Semiconductor, and also had executive roles at Mosaid, IBM, and Celestica. Other eSight executives have played significant roles in other Ottawa technology companies such as Corel, MOSAID, and Tundra. 

Ottawa valley medical institutions have helped eSight with crucial clinical testing. Early testing of the evSpex prototype at the Ottawa Eye Institute and Hotel Dieu Hospital in Kingston, Ont. already show dramatic improvements in key metrics such as contrast sensitivity, facial recognition, and reading speed. eSight is also actively engaging Ottawa-area Ophthalmologists and Optometrists — who will recommend evSpex to patients and Low Vision Rehabilitation Therapists. 

Business advantage  

eSight is combining breakthrough advances in digital video capture and display with proprietary image processing algorithms to serve two primary markets: 

Wearable low-vision aids to greatly improve the quality of life for those with acute vision impairments that neither surgery nor traditional eyeglasses can correct

Using the same technology platform, eSight will enhance almost any visual experience, bringing dazzling real-time high-definition vision to sports fans and concert goers, including the ability to zoom in and even rewind the action 

eSight’s success is based on a global community of Ophthalmologists and Optometrists recommending evSpex as the best solution for people who are challenged by low vision and wish to maintain the best quality of life.  The evSpex price is comparable to other less effective, more difficult to use devices currently on the market.

evSpex will be the first device of its kind calibrated to the specific visual needs of patients, according to their most favoured day-to-day activities (reading, walking, operating a computer, etc.).   

Future growth plans

To deliver its innovations, the company is developing an exciting new channel model:  Practitioners in low vision centres will use eSight calibration and configuration software to determine the exact settings for an individual patient.  This calibration information is uploaded to eSight technicians, who then ship a calibrated pair of evSpex to the patient.  

Together with the clinician, eSight retains a high-value relationship with patients, enabling future revenues as the company releases hardware upgrades and improved algorithms, and as a patient’s visual condition changes over time.

Contact information

eSight Corp.

+1-613-271-9535

www.esightcorp.

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