HTS is the oldest company (1982) continuously producing computerized programs using principals of operant conditioning and behavior modification to improve visual functioning. Using random dot stereograms in operant conditioning paradigm Jeffrey Cooper MS, OD, Professor Emeritus, State College of Optometry, State University of New York was able to show that 1) RDS improved fusional vergence and reduced symptoms1-3 2) that larger RDS were associated with larger fusional amplitudes4 3) that RDS could be used to detect strabismus amblyopia and strabismus. From this basic research Dr. Cooper partnered with Rod Bortel in developing orthoptic/vision therapy computerized programs for in-office use and home therapy. These programs have been designed to improve: accommodative facility, vergence amplitudes, eye movement tracking – both saccadic and pursuits, visual memory, directionality, sports vision, size and shape matching, etc. The programs offered by HTS and Computer Orthoptics compose a spectrum of programs which not only deal with the mechanical abilities of the eyes but perceptual functioning.

These programs have been used in numerous NIH/NEI (National Institute of Health/National Eye Institute)5-7 and PEDIG (Pediatric Eye and Disease Investigation Group) clinical trials that have evaluated vision therapy to remediate a common vision anomaly such as convergence insufficiency.8-10 We are proud to have been the only computerized vision therapy program used in both in-office and home therapy treatment arms. Currently the CITT-AR (Convergence Insufficiency Treatment Trial – Attention and Reading) a NIH/NEI sponsored prospective clinical trial is using both VTS4 (an in-office computerized vision therapy program) and HTS (a home vision therapy program) in a prospective clinical trial to determine if treatment of an eye muscle anomaly known as convergence insufficiency will result in improved attention (less ADD) and improved reading scores.

The use of our programs has been recently expanded to home therapy only treatment clinical trials. We are proud of the success of these programs. We are proud of all of our current programs used world wide by both Optometrists and Ophthalmologists to improve binocular vision and other perceptual anomalies.

We are very interested in the area of virtual/augmented reality as a format to expand our treatment programs.  We want to develop diagnostic and treatment programs to identify eye muscle problems such as amblyopia and strabismus.  We believe with the proper techniques and early intervention that we can eliminate these potentially blinding anomalies (Amblyopia which is present in 5% of children causes more vision loss in patients under 40 than all the other combined diseases and conditions).  We believe that we can develop new testing and treatment methods with your technology.

More specifically we plan to develop programs to measure: visual acuity, stereopsis, phoric or objective angle of the eyes, visual fields by using automated techniques which do not require the response of patients, school screening programs for vision defects, in-office treatment programs which are improved compared to current technology.

We hope that you will help make these dreams possible.

  1. Cooper J, Feldman J. Operant conditioning and the assessment of stereopsis in young children. American Journal of Optometry & Physiological Optics. 1978;55(8):532-542.
  2. Cooper J, Feldman J. Operant conditioning of fusional convergence ranges using random dot stereograms. American journal of optometry and physiological optics. Apr 1980;57(4): 205-213
  3. Feldman J, Cooper J. Rapid assessment of stereopsis in pre-verbal children using operant techniques: a preliminary study. Journal of the American Optometric Association. Aug 1980;51(8):767-771.
  4. Feldman J, Cooper J, Eichler R. Effect of Various Stimulus Parameters on Fusional Horizontal Amplitudes in Normal Humans. Bin Vis Eye Mus Surg Qtly. 1993;8:23-32.
  5. Borsting E, Mitchell GL, Kulp MT, et al. Improvement in academic behaviors after successful treatment of convergence insufficiency. Optom Vis Sci. Jan 2012;89(1):12-18.
  6. Sreenivasan V, Bobier WR. Increased onset of vergence adaptation reduces excessive accommodation during the orthoptic treatment of convergence insufficiency. Vision research. Jun 2015;111(Pt A):105-113.
  7. Group. CITTS. Randomized clinical trial of treatments for symptomatic convergence insufficiency in children. Archives of ophthalmology. Oct 2008;126(10):1336-1349.
  8. Cooper J, Feldman J. Reduction of symptoms in binocular anomalies using computerized home therapy-HTS. Optometry. Sep 2009;80(9):481-486.
  9. Dusek WA, Pierscionek BK, McClelland JF. An evaluation of clinical treatment of convergence insufficiency for children with reading difficulties. BMC Ophthalmol. 2011;11:21.
  10. Goss DA, Downing B, Lowther A, et al. The Effect of HTS Vision Therapy Conducted in a School Setting on Reading Skills in Third and Fourth Grade Students. Optometry & Vision Development 2007;38(1):27-32.