UA Professor Honored for Invention of Groundbreaking Vision Correction Device
Hong Hua, professor and director of the 3D Visualization and Imaging Systems laboratory at the University of Arizona, was featured in the Bayh-Dole Coalition’s 2024 “Faces of American Innovation” report. The Coalition has recognized her for her development of a revolutionary vision correction device, which makes use of virtual and augmented reality technology.
The annual report honors a select group of researchers, entrepreneurs, and academic administrators whose groundbreaking work, made possible by the Bayh-Dole Act, has changed the lives of millions in the United States and abroad.
The Bayh-Dole Coalition, of which Tech Launch Arizona at the University of Arizona is a member, is a diverse group of innovation-oriented organizations and individuals committed to celebrating and protecting the Bayh-Dole Act, as well as informing policymakers and the public of its many benefits.
On September 18, Dr. Hua and four other recipients will be awarded the second annual Bayh-Dole Coalition American Innovator Award in Washington, D.C. “Dr Hua is an incredible innovator focused on leveraging her expertise to create a better world,” said Doug Hockstad, Associate Vice President of Tech Launch Arizona. “We are proud that the Bayh-Dole Coalition has honored her with this recognition and hope that this award inspires her and our entire community of innovators to bring more great inventions to the world.”
Hua’s initial research into VR and AR was catalyzed by a National Science Foundation grant, which ultimately led to her creation of a compact, wearable eye-tracking device for late-stage ALS patients. Her discovery was patented by the University of Arizona, and that work attracted the attention of eSight Corporation. Together, eSight and Hua then catapulted off the technology to develop a device that allows people with central vision loss greatly improved eyesight and independence.
“Dr. Hua’s technology has significantly improved the lives of people with vision loss — and could forever transform how we treat the condition,” said Joseph P. Allen, executive director of the Bayh-Dole Coalition. “The Bayh-Dole Act was the catalyst for this breakthrough invention, but it takes dedicated researchers like Dr. Hua and partnerships with entrepreneurs like eSight to turn early-stage research into life-changing products. Thanks to the Bayh-Dole system, people here and around the world have had their lives transformed — like those who had their sight restored because Dr. Hua saw the potential of helping those with little hope and refused to quit until it was achieved.”
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office issued a total of 80 patents to University of Arizona inventors in FY2023, placing Arizona among the top 25 U.S. universities for utility patents. In the same year, TLA established seven startups within a range of industries, including optical polymers, neuro-therapy, and bioinformatics.
