Focus Glass delivers a magnified view

It is estimated that 500,000 medication errors happen each year outside of hospitals. For the millions of Americans who have trouble seeing, Focus Glass provides a solution.

The Focus Glass was created to help people with limited vision read the type on a prescription bottle. The non-breakable 14 oz. glass is BPA-free and has an optical lens installed in its base to provide magnification.

“Our product provides a practical alternative to typical low vision devices,” says George Pietropaolo, CEO of Focus Glass. “This glass is considered a patient education device, which means it can be freely distributed by doctor’s offices and pharmaceutical companies.”

At Focusglass.com, a design tool enables an organization to see how their logo would look on the glass. The product is easy to use, cost-effective and ergonomically designed, Pietropaolo says.

Pietropaolo came up with the idea at a Christmas dinner several years ago when he was having trouble reading a magazine article. He ended up sliding a wine glass over the words and the text was enlarged.

Initially, Pietropaolo faced numerous challenges and conversations with manufacturers did not yield results. Several individuals told him that it wasn’t possible to mold a vessel with a magnifying glass at the bottom.

So Pietropaolo took the product to China. It took about a year of sending options back and forth until the final glass was created. Now, the product is being produced in Long Island.

The Focus Glass is a helpful tool for arthritis sufferers. The glass is very easy to hold and enlarges the small type on a prescription bottle. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, arthritis is one of the most common health problems in the country. Arthritis impacts nearly one in four adults.

Locally, the team is working with health organizations to validate Focus Glass with people who have arthritis. More than five hundred people who have low vision and rheumatoid arthritis are participating in an in-home study group.

Nationally, the Arthritis Foundation is considering the Focus Glass for an “Ease of Use” designation. The FDA has designated Focus Glass as a “Class 1 Medical Device.”

“We just received a registered trademark on the logo,” Pietropaolo says. “The patent for the glass has also been approved.”