گام بلند به‌سوی ابربینایی؛ لنز تماسی دانشمندان چینی نور فروسرخ را مرئی می‌کند

Scientists have developed contact lenses that enable humans to see infrared light, giving them a superhuman vision. Infrared light is part of the electromagnetic spectrum that is not visible to the naked eye. Unlike night vision goggles, these lenses do not require a power source and are transparent, allowing individuals to see infrared light along with all visible colors simultaneously.

According to The Guardian, Professor Tian Shu, a neuroscientist at the University of Science and Technology of China and one of the authors of the study, said this achievement paves the way for developing various contact lenses, glasses, and other wearable devices that can give humans “super vision.” He added that this technology can also help individuals with color blindness.

The lenses use nanoparticles called upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) that absorb infrared light and convert it into visible light. The researchers used UCNPs that can absorb near-infrared light (with wavelengths slightly longer than those visible to the human eye) and convert it into red, green, or blue visible light.

The team’s previous studies have shown that injecting UCNPs into the retina, the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye, can give mice the ability to see infrared red light. However, the researchers sought a less invasive approach for humans.

The scientists developed soft contact lenses coated with UCNPs. When used, individuals can see patterns of infrared light that appear as a flashing and intermittent code, similar to Morse code. This allows them to identify the source of the infrared light and determine its direction.

When individuals wear the lenses, their vision of infrared light improves because their eyelids block more visible light than infrared light, resulting in less interference. The lenses are not sensitive enough to detect low levels of natural infrared light, and they do not provide thermal vision since objects are primarily emitting infrared radiation in the far-infrared range. However, the researchers say that future research will focus on developing lenses with improved performance.

Shu suggests that if scientists can develop UCNPs with higher efficiency, it may be possible to see infrared light in the environment with contact lenses. Even without the ability to fully see infrared, Shu envisions potential applications for the technology, such as encrypted messages sent with infrared light that are only visible to individuals wearing the lenses.

The researchers propose that the development of this technology could aid individuals with color blindness. Shu explains that the technology can convert red light into a color that is more visible to people with color blindness, making it visible to them.

The study’s results have been published in the journal Cell.