Latest news with #YuqianMa
DW
2 days ago
- Health
- DW
Infrared contact lens lets humans to see in dark – DW – 06/01/2025
Light consists of individual particles that propagate in waves. The wavelength determines the color and energy of the light. The human eye can only perceive a small section of this spectrum, approximately the range between 400 and 700 nanometers. Because of that, we humans are unable to see the infrared range, with its longer wavelengths of 750 nanometers to one millimeter. So in order to see infrared light, we have needed comparatively bulky night-vision goggles or night-vision devices with their own energy source — until now. Infrared contact lenses from China Researchers at the University of Science and Technology in Hefei, eastern China, have now developed a contact lens that converts infrared light into visible light, enabling humans to see in the dark. Yuqian Ma and his team have combined conventional soft contact lenses with 45 nanometer particles consisting of gold, sodium gadolinium fluoride, ytterbium and erbium ions. The upconversion contact lenses (UCLs) convert infrared light with wavelengths between 800 and 1,600 nanometers into visible light, the team wrote in the scientific journal Cell . The nanoparticles enrich the long infrared light waves with energy. In doing so, they convert infrared light into three primary colors, making them visible to the human eye. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video One drawback is that the resulting images are very blurred because the nanoparticles in the lenses scatter the light, which the team was able to partially compensate for by adding additional lenses. However, the infrared contact lenses are still nowhere near as powerful as night vision goggles, which amplify weak infrared signals, making them visible. Even better vision with eyes closed The team first injected nanoparticles into the retinas of mice and their behavior showed that they could see in the dark. The newly developed contact lenses are much more practical because they are non-invasive — meaning no injections into our retinas. In tests, humans were able to recognize patterns, letters and flashing infrared signals in the dark. And the infrared lenses work even better with closed eyes, because the infrared light can easily penetrate the eyelids and image generation is not disturbed by normal visible light. Animal infrared capabilities Several animal species are able to perceive infrared light, which is extremely helpful when hunting in the dark. They do not see infrared light as "light" in the sense of human vision. Instead they perceive the heat radiation emitted by objects. This helps some cold-blooded reptiles such as snakes (rattlesnakes and pit vipers), certain fish (piranhas and cichlids), some amphibians (bullfrogs) and some blood-sucking insects (mosquitoes and bugs) with orientation or hunting in the dark. Warm-blooded animals — such as humans, other mammals and birds — cannot see infrared light because their eyes do not have the appropriate receptors and their body's own heat radiation would also interfere with the perception of infrared light. Big question about the benefits As fascinating as the Chinese innovation is, it remains to be seen how it could be used in everyday life. According to the developers, the lenses could be used in surgical procedures, in the field of encryption or cryptography, or for counterfeit protection. This is because infrared light is what makes invisible features or inks visible on documents, for example. The lenses could also be used to rescue people in poor visibility conditions because they make heat-emitting objects visible. However, many critics doubt this, as night vision devices are much easier to use, and are also significantly more powerful. This article was originally written in German. Source: Near-infrared spatiotemporal color vision in humans enabled by upconversion contact lenses
DW
3 days ago
- Science
- DW
Infrared contact lens enables humans to see in dark – DW – 06/01/2025
Chinese researchers have developed an infrared contact lens that makes night vision possible. Nanoparticles make the previously invisible light range visible to the human eye. Light consists of individual particles that propagate in waves. The wavelength determines the color and energy of the light. The human eye can only perceive a small section of this spectrum, approximately the range between 400 and 700 nanometers. Because of that, we humans are unable to see the infrared range, with its longer wavelengths of 750 nanometers to one millimeter. So in order to see infrared light, we have needed comparatively bulky night-vision goggles or night-vision devices with their own energy source — until now. Infrared contact lenses from China Researchers at the University of Science and Technology in Hefei, eastern China, have now developed a contact lens that converts infrared light into visible light, enabling humans to see in the dark. Yuqian Ma and his team have combined conventional soft contact lenses with 45 nanometer particles consisting of gold, sodium gadolinium fluoride, ytterbium and erbium ions. The upconversion contact lenses (UCLs) convert infrared light with wavelengths between 800 and 1,600 nanometers into visible light, the team wrote in the scientific journal Cell. The nanoparticles enrich the long infrared light waves with energy. In doing so, they convert infrared light into three primary colors, making them visible to the human eye. In Good Shape — Look me in the eyes! To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video One drawback is that the resulting images are very blurred because the nanoparticles in the lenses scatter the light, which the team was able to partially compensate for by adding additional lenses. However, the infrared contact lenses are still nowhere near as powerful as night vision goggles, which amplify weak infrared signals, making them visible. Even better vision with eyes closed The team first injected nanoparticles into the retinas of mice and their behavior showed that they could see in the dark. The newly developed contact lenses are much more practical because they are non-invasive — meaning no injections into our retinas. In tests, humans were able to recognize patterns, letters and flashing infrared signals in the dark. And the infrared lenses work even better with closed eyes, because the infrared light can easily penetrate the eyelids and image generation is not disturbed by normal visible light. Animal infrared capabilities Several animal species are able to perceive infrared light, which is extremely helpful when hunting in the dark. They do not see infrared light as "light" in the sense of human vision. Instead they perceive the heat radiation emitted by objects. This helps some cold-blooded reptiles such as snakes (rattlesnakes and pit vipers), certain fish (piranhas and cichlids), some amphibians (bullfrogs) and some blood-sucking insects (mosquitoes and bugs) with orientation or hunting in the dark. Warm-blooded animals — such as humans, other mammals and birds — cannot see infrared light because their eyes do not have the appropriate receptors and their body's own heat radiation would also interfere with the perception of infrared light. Big question about the benefits As fascinating as the Chinese innovation is, it remains to be seen how it could be used in everyday life. According to the developers, the lenses could be used in surgical procedures, in the field of encryption or cryptography, or for counterfeit protection. This is because infrared light is what makes invisible features or inks visible on documents, for example. The lenses could also be used to rescue people in poor visibility conditions because they make heat-emitting objects visible. However, many critics doubt this, as night vision devices are much easier to use, and are also significantly more powerful. This article was originally written in German. Source: Near-infrared spatiotemporal color vision in humans enabled by upconversion contact lenses
Express Tribune
23-05-2025
- Science
- Express Tribune
Scientists push vision boundaries with lenses that detect invisible infrared light
Listen to article Scientists in China have developed contact lenses that allow people to see near-infrared light, potentially paving the way for superhuman vision in everyday life. The soft lenses, described in the journal Cell, use upconversion nanoparticles to absorb invisible infrared radiation and convert it into visible red, green or blue light. When worn, users can see infrared signals while still perceiving the full range of normal visible colours — no power source required. Unlike night vision goggles, the lenses are transparent and wearable in daylight. Researchers say the technology could one day lead to advanced glasses, contacts or wearables capable of enhancing human vision well beyond natural limits. Prof Tian Xue, a neuroscientist at the University of Science and Technology of China, called the project a step towards 'super-vision'. He said the approach could also be adapted to assist people with colour blindness by converting unseen wavelengths into detectable hues. Dr Yuqian Ma, another member of the team, noted that more than half of the Sun's energy arrives as infrared radiation — most of it invisible to humans. 'Over half of the solar radiation energy, existing as infrared light, remains imperceptible to humans,' said Ma. 'Our work brings us closer to perceiving what has always been hidden.' Previous studies by the same group gave mice near-infrared vision using injections of nanoparticles behind the retina. But recognising that such methods are unlikely to gain human approval, the team explored a non-invasive route with wearable lenses. In tests, participants wearing the lenses could see Morse code-style signals flashed by infrared LEDs. They could also detect the direction of an infrared light source — even with eyes closed, as the eyelids block visible light more than infrared. The current version of the lenses does not enable users to see body heat or thermal radiation, as it lacks sensitivity to far-infrared. But scientists are working on improving their efficiency, with hopes of enhancing real-world infrared vision in the future. 'If materials scientists can develop upconversion nanoparticles with higher efficiency, it may become possible to see surrounding infrared light using contact lenses,' said Xue. Even in their early form, the lenses could be used to reveal secret messages or for augmented reality applications — enabling users to access visual information invisible to others.
The Guardian
22-05-2025
- Science
- The Guardian
Seeing infrared: scientists create contact lenses that grant ‘super-vision'
Researchers have given people a taste of superhuman vision after creating contact lenses that allow them to see infrared light, a band of the electromagnetic spectrum that is invisible to the naked eye. Unlike night vision goggles, the contact lenses need no power source, and because they are transparent, wearers can see infrared and all the normal visible colours of light at the same time. Prof Tian Xue, a neuroscientist at the University of Science and Technology of China, said the work paved the way for a range of contact lenses, glasses and other wearable devices that give people 'super-vision'. The technology could also help people with colour blindness, he added. The lenses are the latest breakthrough driven by the team's desire to extend human vision beyond its natural, narrow range. The wavelengths of light that humans can see make up less than one hundredth of a per cent of the electromagnetic spectrum. Dr Yuqian Ma, a researcher on the project, said: 'Over half of the solar radiation energy, existing as infrared light, remains imperceptible to humans.' The rainbow of colours visible to humans spans wavelengths from 400 to 700 nanometres (a nanometre is a millionth of a millimetre). But many other animals sense the world differently. Birds, bees, reindeer and mice can see ultraviolet light, wavelengths too short for humans to perceive. Meanwhile, some snakes and vampire bats have organs that detect far-infrared, or thermal radiation, which helps them hunt for prey. To extend humans' range of vision and enhance our experience of the world, the scientists developed what are called upconversion nanoparticles. The particles absorb infrared light and re-emit it as visible light. For the study, the scientists chose particles that absorb near-infrared light, comprising wavelengths that are just too long for humans to perceive, and converted it into visible red, green or blue light. In previous work, the research team gave mice near-infrared vision by injecting upconversion nanoparticles under the retina, the light-sensitive membrane at the back of the eye. But noting that this 'may not be readily accepted by humans,' they searched for a less invasive strategy. Writing in the journal Cell, the scientists describe how they made soft contact lenses seeded with upconversion nanoparticles. When worn, people could see Morse code-like signals flashed from an infrared LED and tell what direction infrared light came from. Their infrared vision improved when they closed their eyes, because eyelids block visible light more than infrared, so there was less visible light to interfere. The lenses are not sensitive enough to see natural low levels of infrared light, and because warm objects radiate mostly in the far-infrared, the lenses do not provide thermal vision. But future work will focus on making lenses that are more effective, the scientists say. Xue said: 'If materials scientists can develop upconversion nanoparticles with higher efficiency, it may become possible to see surrounding infrared light using contact lenses.' Even without full infrared vision, Xue sees applications. For example, secret messages sent by infrared light would only be visible to people wearing the contact lenses, he said. A similar approach might help people with colour blindness by converting wavelengths they cannot see into hues they can.
