Freedom Scientific TOPAZ OCR Video Magnifier & Text-To-Speech

Freedom Scientific 900730-001
$4,640.00
$4,640.00 $5,395.00
You save 13% ($755.00)

Please Note this item is a custom build item upon ordering and takes about 2-4 weeks to build.

The TOPAZ OCR combines video magnification and text-to-speech features into a single desktop video magnifier. The high-definition camera produces a clear picture with sharp images and crisp text. This lets you use a lower magnification to maximize the amount of information displayed on the screen. It also reduces the need to move the XY table as much when reading text, looking at pictures, or working on crafts and other projects. The TOPAZ also includes an OCR camera. A simple screen tap changes TOPAZ from a video magnifier to a scanning and reading device with speech. When in OCR mode, TOPAZ displays, processes, acquires, and reads aloud the document currently displayed on the screen.

*Your product includes a three-year warranty against manufacturing defects.

Click Here To Download The User Manual

Magnification Features

  • All the features of our standard TOPAZ XL HD magnifier PLUS…
  • 24-inch touchscreen display
  • High-definition camera provides a crisp image that is easy to read at all magnification levels
  • Widest field of view to fit more text on the screen at once, for greater productivity with less fatigue
  • Use the optional GEM® image management software to view, capture, and save magnified images from TOPAZ to your computer

OCR Features

  • Acquire and process documents displayed on the screen
  • Listen to the unit read the processed text
  • See a full page view of the document with clearly marked reading zones
  • Reading zones permit fast document navigation by tapping a zone and having immediate speech from that part of the document
  • Continue to add more pages to the document, and quickly save it to an SD card

What is Macular Degeneration

Age Related Macular Degeneration is a degenerative disease of the retina that causes progressive loss of vision in the center of the eye. People describe it as having a spot or blurry space in the middle of their vision that interferes with daily tasks like reading and driving. There are two types of macular degeneration, dry and wet.

Dry Age Related Macular Degeneration results when yellow-white deposits called drusen accumulate under the macula, which is the central portion of the retina. Scientists don’t know exactly why this occurs.

In Wet Age Related Macular Degeneration, abnormal blood vessel growth forms under the macula and leaks fluid damaging photoreceptor cells. Wet Age Related Macular Degeneration can progress rapidly and cause serious damage. If it’s caught early, however, laser surgery may be able to prevent extensive vision loss.

The risk of developing macular degeneration increases with age and the disease is the most common cause of vision loss in people over the age of 55, particularly women. While it significantly reduces vision, Age Related Macular Degeneration does not cause total blindness.

If you have suffered vision loss due to Age Related Macular Degeneration your doctor will probably refer you to a low vision specialist. This dedicated eye care professional will be able to evaluate your available vision and refer you to other specialists who can assist with rehabilitation and resources.

To learn more about vision rehabilitation please read our article called: “Vision Rehabilitation is the Key”.

Most of all, realize that you are not alone. Millions of Americans experience low vision through various eye diseases, like Macular Degeneration, and there are many organizations, professionals and resources available to you. In addition to these resources there are products, like digital magnification, which allow you to maintain your independence through the vision loss process.

Source & Credit - Enhanced Vision

What is a cataract?

A cataract is a clouding of the lens in the eye that affects vision. Most cataracts are related to aging. Cataracts are very common in older people. By age 80, more than half of all Americans either have a cataract or have had cataract surgery.

A cataract can occur in either or both eyes. It cannot spread from one eye to the other.

What is the lens?

The lens is a clear part of the eye that helps to focus light, or an image, on the retina. The retina is the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye.

In a normal eye, light passes through the transparent lens to the retina. Once it reaches the retina, light is changed into nerve signals that are sent to the brain.

The lens must be clear for the retina to receive a sharp image. If the lens is cloudy from a cataract, the image you see will be blurred.

Are there other types of cataract

Yes. Although most cataracts are related to aging, there are other types of cataract:

  1. Secondary cataract. Cataracts can form after surgery for other eye problems, such as glaucoma. Cataracts also can develop in people who have other health problems, such as diabetes. Cataracts are sometimes linked to steroid use.
  2. Traumatic cataract. Cataracts can develop after an eye injury, sometimes years later.
  3. Congenital cataract. Some babies are born with cataracts or develop them in childhood, often in both eyes. These cataracts may be so small that they do not affect vision. If they do, the lenses may need to be removed.
  4. Radiation cataract. Cataracts can develop after exposure to some types of radiation.

Source & Credit - Enhanced Vision

National Eye Institute. Facts About Cataract