In situ reduced gold nanoparticles in PDMS contact lenses for color blindness management†

Color vision deficiency, or color blindness, is an ocular condition in which individuals have difficulty distinguishing between certain colors. While there is currently no cure for this condition, various wearables can be used to improve the color perception of those affected. The most common wearables used are color-filtering glasses and lenses, which filter out the problematic wavelengths. The most prevalent form of color vision deficiency is red-green color blindness. In this study, gold nanoparticles were in situ reduced onto contact lens material, forming plasmonic contact lenses targeted for red-green color blindness management. The absorption of the plasmonic particles, which peaked at around 533 nm, filtered out specific wavelengths to significantly enhance the color perception of both deuteranopia and protanopia. The study also presented an approach of imaging through the plasmonic lenses, followed by color blindness vision simulation to replicate a colorblind individual's vision. When combined with the Ishihara test, this approach proved to effectively improve color perception with the use of plasmonic contact lenses. The study presents a facile method for creating stable, hydrophilic plasmonic contact lenses to manage color blindness. It also offers a unique way to simulate the impact of color filtering on the vision of individuals with color blindness.