Nintendo 3DS to Help Identify Amblyopia and Other Vision Problems

Most kids, many pediatricians, and the occasional Medgadget editor would relish any opportunity to utilize video games to improve health. Microsoft’s Kinect sensor has been featured here on Medgadget numerous times for its medical applications in imaging and gesture controls. The Nintendo Wii was one of the first systems to exercise more than your fingers.
Now, the American Optometric Association (AOA) is looking into the new Nintendo 3DS handheld gaming system for its potential to help uncover subtle vision problems. The 3DS is Nintendo’s latest version of its dual-screen portable gaming system. One of the screens is innovative because it allows the gamer to see 3-D without the use of special glasses. Nintendo warns not to allow children under the age of 6 to use the 3D effect (which can be switched on and off) because it may harm their vision. Some optometrists say that the 3D screen is not only harmless for all ages, but can also help identify vision problems such as amblyopia (lazy eye) and strabismus (eye turn).
The theory is that if a child is unable to see the 3D effect, it can be an indicator of a problem with the way the eyes move, something that cannot be identified by merely looking at eye charts. These problems are much easier to fix at a young age when a child’s visual system is still developing, which is why the Nintendo 3DS is specifically attractive to optometrists.
The potential of 3D technology to identify vision problems has been extended to 3D televisions and movies too. Last week, the AOA signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the 3D@Home Consortium to further research 3D technology’s application in vision care.
Article from the Associated Press: Optometrists: Nintendo 3DS could ID vision issues…
Press release from the American Optometric Association…