Efficiency of ocular UV protection by clear lenses

Biomed Opt Express. 2018 Mar 27;9(4):1948-1963. doi: 10.1364/BOE.9.001948. eCollection 2018 Apr 1.

Abstract

Ocular UV doses accumulate all-day, not only during periods of direct sun exposure. The UV protection efficiency of three clear lenses was evaluated experimentally, validated by simulation, and compared to non-UV protection: a first spectacle lens with a tailored UV absorber, a second spectacle lens, minimizing UV back reflections, as well as a third spectacle lens, combining both. A tailored UV-absorber efficiently reduced overall UV irradiance to 7 %, whereas reduction of back-reflections still left UV irradiance at 42 %. Thus, clear lenses with a tailored UV absorber efficiently protect the eye from UV, supplementing sun glasses wear to an all-day protection scenario.

Keywords: (140.3360) Laser safety and eye protection; (330.4460) Ophthalmic optics and devices; (330.5370) Physiological optics; (330.7328) Visual optics, ophthalmic appliances.