Wide-Field High-Intensity Lantern: An Affordable Night Mobility Aid

Individuals with disorders such as retinitis pigmentosa or severe glaucoma often have difficulty ambulating at night, not only because they have lost rod vision, but because flashlights do not help. The problem is that ordinary flashlights produce a very narrow beam of light (only about 3°) which is hard to follow with tunnel vision. To eliminate this problem, we have designed a relatively inexpensive lantern which produces a bright wide beam of light. It can greatly enhance the night mobility of patients with severe field constriction or night blindness.