What is blue light?
Sunlight consists of a spectrum of light at different wavelengths that divided into visible and invisible light.
Blue light includes wavelengths in the part of the visible spectrum from 380 to 500nm (ISO 20473). This is the highest energetic light reaching the retina (CIE 2023:2012).
The main and most powerful source of blue light is the sun, outdoor and indoors.
Depending on the wavelength, blue light can play a role in distinct physiological fields: retinal ageing, sleep.. to date, Shamir focused all its efforts on the spectral band from 400 to 455, internally referred to as blue-violet light.
Both UV and blue-violet light30, have cumulative and irreversible impacts on the eyes.
Extensive research has been made on blue light-induced retinal ageing from the sun3-29:
The spectral band from 400 to 455 nm (blue violet light30) is one powerful modifiable factor promoting retinal oxidative stress and inhibiting antioxidant defence, thus accelerating eye aging 2 to 5.
This has been recognized in ISO1
Shamir Blue Zero™, the lens with built-in blue-violet light30 filtering and UV protection
Shamir Blue Zero™ is a lens material featuring a built-in filtering of blue-violet light30 emitted mainly by the sun.
Based on a unique polymer formula, Shamir Blue Zero™ not only blocks harmful UV light from reaching the eye but also provides up to 3 times34 more filtering of blue-violet light30 than clear lenses31 while maintaining comfortable vision and ensuring high lens clarity32
The powerful combination:
Shamir Blue Zero™ + Shamir Glacier Expression™
To deliver the highest optical quality solution, we integrated Shamir Blue Zero™ with the cutting-edge coating of Shamir Glacier Expression™.
Shamir Glacier Expression™ – The advanced premium coating
Shamir’s everyday premium anti-reflective lens coating provides powerful reflection reduction together with clear, sharp, and improved vision. It lets you look good, see sharp, and feel great.
LOOK BETTER Improved aesthetics with up to 70% less reflection33.
SEE BETTER Visual clarity with +25% improvement in contrast sensitivity
~55% of eyeglass wearers gain significantly accelerated reaction times33
FEEL BETTER With Glacier Expression – more comfortable visual experience, day and night, helping reduce fatigue and eye strain 33
Experience the powerful Advantages of Shamir Blue Zero™ + Shamir Glacier Expression™
Shamir Blue Zero™ + Shamir Glacier Expression™ – provide the eyeglass wearer with all the leading advantages of both the Blue Zero lens material and Shamir’s advanced coating:
More powerful filtering
When we combined these two products and compared them to clear lenses with the same coating, the results were amazing: up to 10 times36 more filtering of blue-violet light30 while maintaining contrast sensitivity and color perception.
More powerful uv protection
Full UV protection that blocks both incoming rays of UV light as well as those reflected off the rear lens surface, in all indexes.
References
https://shamir.com/for-professionals/lenses_and_more/shamir-blue-zero/
1. ISO-TR-20772:2018 ISO: International Standards Organization “Ophthalmic optics – Spectacles lenses – Short Wavelength visible solar radiation and the eye 2 Jarrett, Stuart G., and Michael E. Boulton 2012 Consequences of Oxidative Stress in AgeRelated Macular Degeneration. Molecular Aspects of Medicine 33(4): 399–417. 3 Marie, M., Bigot, K., Angebault, C. et al. Light action spectrum on oxidative stress and mitochondrial damage in A2E-loaded retinal pigment epithelium cells. Cell Death Dis 9, 287 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41419-018-0331-5 4 Marie M, Gondouin P, Pagan D, Barrau C, Villette T, Sahel J, et al. (2019) Blue-violet light decreases VEGFa production in an in vitro model of AMD. PLoS ONE 14(10): e0223839. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0223839 5 Arnault E, Barrau C, Nanteau C, Gondouin P, Bigot K, Viénot F, et al. (2013) Phototoxic Action Spectrum on a Retinal Pigment Epithelium Model of Age-Related Macular Degeneration Exposed to Sunlight Normalized Conditions. PLoS ONE 8(8): e71398. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0071398 6 Nakanishi-Ueda, T. et al. Blue LED light exposure develops intracellular reactive oxygen species, lipid peroxidation, and subsequent cellular injuries in cultured bovine retinal pigment epithelial cells. Free Radic. Res. 47, 774-780 7 Ratnayake, K., Payton, J. L., Lakmal, O. H. & Karunarathne, A. Blue light excited retinal intercepts cellular signaling. Sci. Rep.-UK 8, 16, doi:10.1038/s41598-018- 28254-8 (2018). 8 Alaimo, A. et al. Toxicity of blue led light and A2E is associated to mitochondrial dynamics impairment in ARPE-19 cells: implications for age-related macular degeneration. Arch. Toxicol. 93, 1401-1415 (2019). 9 Sparrow, J. R., Nakanishi, K. & Parish, C. A. The lipofuscin fluorophore A2E mediates blue lightinduced damage to retinal pigmented epithelial cells. Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci. 41, 1981-1989 (2000). 10 Roehlecke, C., Schaller, A., Knels, L. & Funk, R. H. W. The influence of sublethal blue light exposure on human RPE cells. Mol. Vis. 15, 1929-1938 (2009). 11 Knels, L. et al. Blue light stress in retinal neuronal (R28) cells is dependent on wavelength range and irradiance. Eur. J. Neurosci. 34, 548-558, doi:10.1111/ j.1460-9568.2011.07790.x (2011). 12 Sparrow, J. R., Miller, A. S. & Zhou, J. L. Blue light-absorbing intraocular lens and retinal pigment epithelium protection in vitro. J. Cataract Refract. Surg. 30, 873-878, doi:10.1016/j.jcrs.2004.01.031 (2004). 13 Davies, S. et al. Photocytotoxicity of lipofuscin in human retinal pigment epithelial cells. Free Radic. Biol. Med. 31, 256-265, doi:10.1016/s0891- 5849(01)00582-2 (2001).
14 SYoun, H. Y., Chou, B. R., Cullen, A. P. & Sivak, J. G. Effects of 400 nm, 420 nm, and 435.8 nm radiations on cultured human retinal pigment epithelial cells.Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology B-Biology 95, 64-70, doi:10.1016/j.jphotobiol.2009.01.001 (2009). 15 Wihlmark, U., Wrigstad, A., Roberg, K., Nilsson, S. E. G. & Brunk, U. T. Lipofuscin accumulation in cultured retinal pigment epithelial cells causes enhanced sensitivity to blue light irradiation. 16 Noell, W. K., V. S. Walker, B. S. Kang, and S. Berman 1966 Retinal Damage by Light in Rats. Investigative Ophthalmology 5(5): 450–473. 17 Vicente-Tejedor, J. et al. Removal of the blue component of light significantly decreases retinal damage after high intensity exposure. PLoS ONE 13, 18, doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0194218 (2018). 18 Sisson, T. R. C., Glauser, S. C., Glauser, E. M., Tasman, W. & Kuwabara, T. Retinal changes produced by phototherapy. J. Pediatr. 77, 221-+, doi:10.1016/s0022-3476(70)80327-4 (1970). 19 Marshall, J., Mellerio, J. & Palmer, D. A. Damage to pigeon retinae by moderate illumination from fluorescent lamps. Exp. Eye Res. 14, 164-&, doi:10.1016/0014-4835(72)90063-2 (1972). 20 Specht, S., Leffak, M., Darrow, R. M. & Organisciak, D. T. Damage to rat retinal DNAinduced in vivo by visible light. Photochem. Photobiol. 69, 91-98, doi:10.1562/00318655(1999)069<0091:dtrrdi>2.3.co;2 (1999). 21 Ham, W. T., Ruffolo, J. J., Mueller, H. A., Clarke, A. M. & Moon, M. E. Histologic analysis of photochemical lesions produced in rhesus retina by short-wavelength light. Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci. 17, 1029-1035 (1978). 22 Ham, W. T., Mueller, H. A. & Sliney, D. H. Retinal sensitivity to damage from short wavelength light. Nature 260, 153-155, doi:10.1038/260153a0 (1976). 23 Barker, F. M. et al. Nutritional manipulation of primate retinas, V: effects of lutein, zeaxanthin, and n-3 fatty acids on retinal sensitivity to blue-light-induced damage. Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci. 52, 3934-3942, doi:10.1167/iovs.10-5898 (2011). 24 Taylor, H. R., S. West, B. Muñoz, et al 1992 The Long-Term Effects of Visible Light on the Eye. Archives of Ophthalmology (Chicago, Ill.: 1960) 110(1): 99–104. 25 Fletcher, Astrid E., Graham C. Bentham, Maureen Agnew, et al. 2008 Sunlight Exposure, Antioxidants, and Age-Related Macular Degeneration. Archives of Ophthalmology (Chicago, Ill.: 1960) 126(10): 1396–1403. 26 Sui, Guo-Yuan, Guang-Cong Liu, Guang-Ying Liu, et al. 2013 Is Sunlight Exposure a Risk Factor for Age-Related Macular Degeneration? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. The British Journal of Ophthalmology 97(4): 389–394. 27 Schick T, Ersoy L, Lechanteur YT, Saksens NT, Hoyng CB, den Hollander AI, Kirchhof B, Fauser S. History of sunlight exposure is a risk factor for age-related macular degeneration. Retina. 2016 Apr;36(4):787-90.
28 Cruickshanks, K. J., Klein, R. & Klein, B. E. K. Sunlight and age-related macular degeneration - The Beaver Dam eye study. Arch. Ophthalmol. 111, 514-518, doi:10.1001/archopht.1993.01090040106042 (1993). 29. Wang L, Yu X, Zhang D, Wen Y, Zhang L, Xia Y, Chen J, Xie C, Zhu H, Tong J, Shen Y. Longterm blue light exposure impairs mitochondrial dynamics in the retina in light-induced retinal degeneration in vivo and in vitro. J Photochem Photobiol B. 2023 Mar;240:112654. 30Blue-violet light is between 400 and 455nm as stated by ISO TR20772-2018 31Comparison between Shamir Blue Zero™ and Shamir clear lenses with HC 32Although a very slight yellowish tint may be detected, Blue Zero has the appearance of a clear lens. 33Compared with Shamir Glacier Plus UV™ coating, Based on clinical research conducted at Shamir : Clinical Trials August 2020, The summary included 32 patients: Ages: 21-60 Filtering 3 times more blue -violet light compared to clear lens in index 1.5. based on tests conducted at 34 Shamir Laboratories Compared to uncoated lens 35 36 Filtering 10 times more blue -violet light compared to clear lens in index 1.5 with Glacier Expression coating. based on tests conducted at Shamir Laboratories