FAQ

Below are common questions about blue light, other blue light solutions, what makes Eyesafe® unique and where you can find Eyesafe® technology

 

1. What is blue light?

Visible light from the sun is the spectrum of electromagnetic radiation that covers the 380nm to 780nm wavelengths. The violet and blue-colored bands of the visible spectrum range from 380nm to 500nm and are known as high-energy visible (HEV) blue light. These are the shortest wavelengths of visible light and therefor possess the highest energy. In general, about 25% of sunlight is blue light, although the actual amount you might receive at any point in time depends on your latitude, the time of day, the amount of cloud cover, and the season.

Blue light penetrates all the way to the retina in the back of the eye. Once it reaches the retina, blue light plays an important role in the body by suppressing the production of melatonin, which increases our alertness in the morning and maintains our circadian rhythms. In the evening, as blue light diminishes, our body once again produces more melatonin, which enables us to sleep.

But sunlight and, in particular the HEV blue light component of sunlight, can also be dangerous because it can heat cells in the retina and cause physiological changes that can lead to severe eye injuries. Over millions of years, the human body has developed ways to limit the amount of blue light that reaches the retina, including pupil constriction, reflexively looking away from the sun, and instinctively squinting in bright sunlight.

 

2. What makes Eyesafe® technology unique?

The blue light spectrum is a band of light emitted from digital displays that makes for a bright and visually pleasing experience. Additionally though, blue light is an intense band of light and our eyes are now taking in more cumulative blue light through extended screen usage. On average Americans spend over 10 hours per day on screens. We like our devices because they connect us, and we appreciate the web, pictures, video and movies on demand.

Eyesafe® technology has been developed to selectively filter the more intense bands of UV and high-energy visible (HEV) blue light, while not compromising the full color spectrum experience. Compared to many other technologies that cause for a yellow, orange or dulled impact to color, Eyesafe provides selective filtration with adherence to ANSI blue light standards, without color compromise.

3. Where do I find Eyesafe® Products?

 You can find Eyesafe® Blue Light Screen Filters, and Eyesafe® Certified monitors and laptops here.

4. What is the difference of Eyesafe® products to software solutions for blue light management? 

There exist software solutions that impact blue light and the entire color experience from the display. We believe these are inadequate solutions that cause for disrupted interactions and visual display. These solutions may turn down the blue light but they also impact other colors in the visual display, often causing a yellow, orange or dulled color impact. Comparatively, Eyesafe is only filtering UV and HEV bands of light with more surgical precision. Eyesafe technology is focused on adherence to ANSI Standards for blue light management, and the filtered removal of 380nm-500nm, while maintaining beautiful, undisturbed visual experience.

5. How do Eyesafe® Filters compare against regular screen protectors? 

The average screen cover protects the device screen, with no filtration of high-energy visible blue light emissions. Eyesafe® technology protects your device and filters high-energy blue light from your screen.

6. How does Eyesafe compare against blue light blocking eyewear? 

There exist some lenses which provide a level of UV and blue light protection. There are several effective solutions on the market, along with others that may provide little or no impact to high-energy visible blue light or significantly distort the visual experience.

7. What portions of the light spectrum does Eyesafe filter and why?

Within the visible light spectrum, the blue light band ranges from 380nm-500nm. Eyesafe has been developed to selectively filter of the portion of the light spectrum and specifically UV light (<380nm) and high-energy visible (HEV) blue light (380-500nm). This band of light is more intense and to learn more about blue light click here.

8. How does Eyesafe® technology work? 

Eyesafe® technology provides selective filtration of UV and high-energy visible (HEV) blue light with patented dye formulations. Eyesafe technology targets certain bands of the light spectrum, which are more intense for your eyes and allow other portions of the spectrum to remain unfiltered.

9. What should I know about blue light from digital devices?

While light of any kind can suppress the secretion of melatonin, blue light does so more powerfully.

– Harvard Health Letter, Blue Light Has a Dark Side

It should come as no surprise that there are negative consequences to receiving large doses of blue light over extended periods of time, and most of them have become well known in this era of man-made blue light:

  • Suppressed melatonin production
  • Disrupted circadian rhythms and sleep cycles
  • Damage to retinal cells
  • Possible increases in age-related macular degeneration

Today, artificial blue light is nearly inescapable. It is presented through dozens of man-made sources, including streetlights, vehicle headlights, LED lighting in the home, at school and at work, and through our many digital devices such as televisions, smart phones, tablets, laptops and desktop monitors. This latter category is particularly troublesome because we are often positioned very close to our device screens, and we used them with our eyes wide open for several hours at a time. In addition, the spectral emissions of many of these devices peak in the middle of the blue light spectrum between 450nm and 465 nm.

Perhaps the most at-risk groups are children and teens, who not only consume massive amounts of digital screen time, but whose eyes are not yet fully developed to combat overexposure to blue light.

10. What standards exist for blue light coverage and color management? 

Eyesafe® technologies are focused on selectively blocking UV and HEV light that is emitted by digital devices. We rely on two updated 2015 standards from the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) to guide our product development: Z80.3 and Z87.1. At Eyesafe®, we are very cognizant of the impact that blue light filtering has on color transmission. In fact, it is a primary goal of all Eyesafe® technologies to selectively filter blue light while maintaining crisp and vivid color transmission in digital displays. Learn more about standards for blue light and color management.

 

Learn about our color standards for Eyesafe®.

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