The research behind our technique
Imvi’s patented training improves eye coordination and overall visual function while you stream content with our mobile app and VR glasses.
The importance of binocular function
About our patented solution
Traditional methods for training eye coordination issues can be time-consuming and tedious. Our approach offers a more engaging, efficient, and adaptable solution by incorporating the training into tools people already use – their mobile devices.
Our solution primarily targets the central area where the visual fields of both eyes overlap. The patented in-app technique gently sways the images seen by each eye. This movement encourages both eyes to coordinate while the brain merges these images into one clear, cohesive view.
Over time, these ‘exercises’ help strengthen the brain’s ability to process visual input, improving coordination and reducing visual strain.
Without VR-glasses
With VR-glasses on
Data analysis
Internal analysis of our data has shown reduced convergence insufficiency symptoms and increased reading speed by 70% on average.
Vergence symptoms data
Imvi applies the well-established Convergence Insufficiency Symptom Survey (CISS), a test that uses a 0–60 point scale, where higher scores indicate more severe issues. Our data has shown a reduction in convergence insufficiency symptoms with users who have trained at least 12 weeks.
Reading speed data
Our in-app test measures reading speed in the user’s preferred language. We assess reading speed for letters, words, and sentences. Our data indicates an average 70% improvement in reading speed after completing the training program.
Calibration measurement
Calibration is performed before each training session to measure the convergence near point — the closest distance at which a person can clearly focus on an object. Those who complete the training show significant improvements in their eye convergence ability.
Reference studies
Meet our team
Rune Brautaset
Rune is a professor of optometry and the Head of the Division for Eye and Vision at the Karolinska Institutet’s Department of Clinical Neuroscience. With a background in neuroscience and physiological optics, he is a licensed optometrist and a recognized expert in binocular vision.
Michael Malmqvist
As the inventor of Imvi’s patented technology, Michael has dedicated 15 years to advancing vision training. He is driven by a passion for enhancing visual skills and brings 27 years of experience in technology development and project management.
Peter Carlsson
With 25 years of leadership experience in global organizations, Peter brings expertise in strategy development, change management, and overall business operations. He holds an M.Sc. in Engineering Physics and a BBA.
How can vision affect reading skills?
When we think about reading, we often consider it a simple skill —one we’ve been practicing since childhood. However, reading relies on a complex set of visual abilities that work together to allow us to interpret text effectively.
There are four key visual skills that are crucial for reading:
- Accommodation: This is the ability of the eye to change the shape of its lens to focus on objects at different distances. When reading, our eyes must constantly adjust their focus from one point to another, especially when switching from text to other objects in our surroundings. Proper accommodation is essential for maintaining clarity and sharpness of vision while reading.
- Eye Movements: Smooth and coordinated eye movements are necessary to scan text line by line. The ocular motor system controls these movements, known as “saccades,” which move the eyes quickly and accurately across the page. Poor control over these movements can lead to difficulty in tracking text and cause errors in reading.
- Binocular Vision: This is the ability to maintain visual focus on a single object with both eyes, creating a single, unified image. Binocular vision allows for depth perception and accurate spatial judgment, which are essential when reading across different surfaces or distances.
- Visual Processing: This involves the brain’s ability to interpret and make sense of visual information received from the eyes. Strong visual processing skills are needed to recognize letters and words quickly, understand what is being read, and retain information.
Background research
Vergence problems
Vergence is the movement of both eyes in opposite directions to maintain focus on a single point. This ability is crucial for merging two slightly different images from each eye into one clear picture.
When vergence problems affect binocular vision, they can make reading particularly challenging. The eyes may struggle to align correctly, leading to symptoms like blurred vision or fatigue. For readers, especially children, these issues can cause frustration and reluctance to read, impacting overall literacy and learning.
With vergence problems affecting around 10% of the population, it is claimed that more than 25% of children are affected by the increased use of mobile devices.
RetCorr: Computerized vergence training
Manual vergence training has been around since the 1950s. Although these methods work, they are not very practical due to the effort required with motivation and supervision, along with daily training and weekly visits to a clinic. RetCorr’s computerized training with a desktop, 3D screen, and glasses significantly improved efficiency and effectiveness over manual methods.
Imvi’s training program, Imvi Read, uses the same patent as the RetCorr solution, but uses a mobile app and VR glasses instead of a computer. Read the full article.
Neurological load
Research conducted at Gävle University, led by Professor Hans Richter, shows that the vergence system can drain the frontal cortex of up to 90% of its energy by stimulating eye movements for as little as 5–10 minutes. Thus, even minor vision-related vergence problems can quickly drain the brain of the energy needed to perform other tasks, negatively impacting activities such as reading. Read the full article
Dyslexia
Professor Christer Jacobson has concluded in his research that vision can impact people with reading/writing difficulties or dyslexia, and that vergence training could have a positive effect on reading for people with vergence problems: Read the full article
Factors behind reading & writing disabilities and dyslexia, adapted from Christer Jacobson
Imvi’s VR-training
Studies of Imvi’s solution have demonstrated positive results for people with reading problems, dyslexia, or ADHD. Several studies have shown effectiveness of our approach:
- Improving eye coordination, i.e. the vergence function.
- Results in improving reading speed and stamina.
- Reducing common symptoms such as headaches, eye pain or eye strain, concentration problems, fatigue, etc.
Further studies
Covid:
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/08164622.2023.2213826
