James E. Sheedy discovered the ways to control the severe effects a computer can have on its users before anyone considered it a decade ago.

Sheedy, an associate professor of optometry at Ohio State, is a pioneer in the treatment of computer vision syndrome and has been working on improving the existing technology of embedding miniature computer monitors into eyeglasses.

“A portable computer monitor would be useful for people who perform jobs such as a contractor at a work site to check for inventory, and a chef can look up the order while he is cooking,” Sheedy said.

The eyeglasses, also known as near-eye or head-mounted display, while enabling the user to focus on the screen in front of him, also allows the user to see his surroundings at the same time.

Sheedy is a consultant to Essilor, a company that manufactures ophthalmic optic products and is developing a mini adjustable monitor attached to glasses.

Sheedy became involved with the development of near-eye display when he was a consultant at another company, InViso which focuses its research on microdisplays.

CVS includes symptoms such as headaches, blurred vision, neck pain and back pain, which occur as a result of excessive use of computers.

In 1985, Sheedy founded the first Video Display Terminal Eye Clinic at the University of California at Berkeley while he was a clinical professor of optometry.

Sheedy earned both his optometry and doctorate degrees at OSU, and returned to OSU last fall to head the College of Optometry’s Computer Eye Clinic, which opened in April.

Mark A. Bullimore, an associate professor of optometry, said Sheedy is a great person to work with.

“He is good, creative and very personable,” Bullimore said. “We are happy to have him here.”

Sheedy said the most inspiring person he met was his graduate advisor, Glenn A. Fry. Fry was a role model who gave him not only knowledge, but also taught him integrity and patience, Sheedy said.

Manoj Subbaram, a graduate teaching assistant and a fellow at the College of Optometry who works with Sheedy, said he has been a source of motivation to him.

“He comes up with new ideas and is enthusiastic about what he does,” Subbaram said. “He is open to learning and views teaching as an outcome of wanting to share enthusiasm for learning.”

Sheedy attributes his eagerness toward research to his optimistic disposition.

“I enjoy everything I do in life and like to attack things with zest,” Sheedy said. “I gain satisfaction from doing research and applying what I know to the development of products.”

In order to assist patients more efficiently, Sheedy created three Web sites that provide easy access to those individuals who want to learn about CVS.

He said CVS becomes difficult to tackle when optometrists delay treatment for the patient because they are not aware of the conditions CVS thrives in.

“Many CVS problems are caused by factors in working places. It is affected by lighting, reflection and location over display, but most eye doctors do not have much training in those areas,” Sheedy said.

Despite the improvements made to the near-eye display, if the users do not change their pattern of staring into the monitor, problems associated with computers will not be alleviated, Sheedy said.

He said people are more likely to look into the monitor of near-eye display for a shorter time span because they will work on other tasks at the same time and that helps bring CVS under control.

Some of his concerns for the near-eye display are precautions in using it and the approach taken to bring the product to the market.

“The monitor needs to have other hardware. It requires a small computer, input device and a portable keyboard,” Sheedy said. ” There is a safety concern as there is a different usage pattern since the virtual monitor moves with them when they are doing other things at the same time.”

Sheedy is now divesting his energy in the study of the physiological bases of eye strain, computer display, its legibility and the design and legibility of different fonts.