Researchers have created innovative contact lenses that facilitate vision in the near-infrared spectrum and may restore colour perception for individuals with colour blindness.
The researchers developed night-vision contact lenses that purportedly provide individuals with “super-vision.”
The lenses, utilising nanoparticles to absorb low-frequency light and subsequently emit it within the visible spectrum, allow wearers to perceive infrared wavelengths that are typically imperceptible to the human eye.
In contrast to conventional night-vision goggles, these lenses do not necessitate a power source. The researchers presented the novel lenses on May 22 in the journal Cell Press.
“Our research reveals the potential for non-invasive wearable devices to provide individuals with enhanced vision,” stated senior author Tian Xue, a neuroscientist at the University of Science and Technology of China.
This material has numerous immediate applications. Flickering infrared light may be employed to convey information in security, rescue, encryption, or anti-counterfeiting contexts.
Initially employed in nocturnal warfare during World War II, conventional night-vision goggles utilise an electronic image-intensifier tube to convert visible light or near-infrared photons into electrons.
The electrons are subsequently directed onto a luminescent screen, resulting in a green glow.
However, these goggles generally require a power supply, rendering them cumbersome. Infrared goggles cannot accurately differentiate light within the infrared spectrum, particularly at extended wavelengths.
