Revolutionary glasses have been engineered to shield individuals from seizure-inducing light, offering a potential new layer of safety for epilepsy patients during daily tasks and entertainment.
People with photosensitive epilepsy may soon benefit from an innovative pair of glasses designed to block light wavelengths known to trigger seizures.
Researchers from the University of Glasgow and the University of Birmingham have developed a prototype liquid crystal lens that could help reduce the risk of seizures. Their findings, published in Cell Reports Physical Science, highlight the potential of this technology to improve the lives of those with photosensitive epilepsy.
Breakthrough Technology in Seizure Prevention
The lenses work by responding to small changes in temperature, a feature integrated into the lens design. When activated, they block over 98% of light in the 660-720nm wavelength range — frequencies most likely to cause seizures in photosensitive individuals.
“This is a hugely exciting project that felt like a science fiction project when we first started the work 4 years ago,” said Zubair Ahmed, Professor of Neuroscience at the University of Birmingham and co-author of the study. “This paper demonstrates the potential for the use of liquid crystal lenses that can be modulated to cut out specific wavelengths of light.”
Harnessing Technology for Epilepsy Management
“The prototype shows how a discrete circuit installed in the frame of a pair of glasses can power these lenses and be used in situations where certain wavelength light is likely to trigger a seizure, such as while watching TV or playing computer games. The circuit heats up the lenses to a comfortable temperature for wearers that will also cut out more than 98% of light with a wavelength that can cause seizures.”
Rami Ghannam, Professor of Electronics at the University of Glasgow and lead author of the study said: “The project shows how collaboration between different disciplines such as engineering, neuroscience, and mathematics can bring about potential discoveries that could transform the lives of patients affected by various diseases.”
Future Directions and Improvements
“We are now developing this prototype further to improve its performance before we take this into human studies.”
The authors note that the current prototype was functional in rooms up to 26°C temperatures, and further tweaks to the technology would be needed to cater for uses in hotter environments. The team also noted that the time taken for the prototype to heat and cool can be improved.
Reference: “Thermal-controlled cholesteric liquid crystal wavelength filter lens for photosensitive epilepsy treatment” by Yuanjie Xia, Zubair Ahmed, Affar Karimullah, Nigel Mottram, Hadi Heidari and Rami Ghannam, 20 August 2024, Cell Reports Physical Science.
DOI: 10.1016/j.xcrp.2024.102158
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2 Comments
Perhaps those glasses could also help migrane patients? Strong flashing lights tend to cause similar reactions.
Hello, my name is Pamela west and I have had photosensitive epilepsy since 2010, I would like to be a part of your research if that is possible