Dark adaptor goggles, also called red adaptation goggles, are

goggles Goggles, or safety glasses, are forms of protective eyewear that usually enclose or protect the area surrounding the eye in order to prevent particulates, water or chemicals from striking the eyes. They are used in chemistry laboratories and ...

are made with red-tinted plastic lenses. They were invented by

Wilhelm Trendelenburg Ernst Wilhelm Theodor Trendelenburg (16 July 1877 – 16 March 1946) was a German physiologist known for his work in physiological optics. He studied physiology at the University of Freiburg, receiving his doctorate from the University of Leipzig ...

in 1916, based on the work by Antoine Béclère on dark adaptation of the

eye An eye is a sensory organ that allows an organism to perceive visual information. It detects light and converts it into electro-chemical impulses in neurons (neurones). It is part of an organism's visual system. In higher organisms, the ey ...

. The eyewear are often used by observers to preserve their natural

night vision Night vision is the ability to see in low-light conditions, either naturally with scotopic vision or through a night-vision device. Night vision requires both sufficient spectral range and sufficient intensity range. Humans have poor night v ...

Concept

Dark adaptor goggles are

made with red-tinted plastic lenses, invented by

in 1916. The concept is based on the work by Antoine Béclère on dark adaptation of the

, where it is noted that

fluoroscopy Fluoroscopy (), informally referred to as "fluoro", is an imaging technique that uses X-rays to obtain real-time moving images of the interior of an object. In its primary application of medical imaging, a fluoroscope () allows a surgeon to see t ...

relies on the use of the retinal rods of the eye. Since retinal rods have limited sensitivity to long wavelengths of light, such as red light, while retinal cones do not, the

enabled the

physician A physician, medical practitioner (British English), medical doctor, or simply doctor is a health professional who practices medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring health through the Medical education, study, Med ...

s to adapt their eyes in preparation for the fluoroscopic procedure while still being able to perform other work. Prior to the invention of these goggles, physicians were required to sit in the darkened room where the procedure would be performed for extended periods to adapt their eyes to the low lighting conditions. Dark adaptor goggles are often used by pilots, weather observers, and physicians to preserve their natural

. In particular, the dark adaptor goggles are used in the field of

meteorology Meteorology is the scientific study of the Earth's atmosphere and short-term atmospheric phenomena (i.e. weather), with a focus on weather forecasting. It has applications in the military, aviation, energy production, transport, agricultur ...

and

astronomy Astronomy is a natural science that studies celestial objects and the phenomena that occur in the cosmos. It uses mathematics, physics, and chemistry in order to explain their origin and their overall evolution. Objects of interest includ ...

for adapting the eyes to the dark prior to an observation at night. They also aid with the identification of

cloud In meteorology, a cloud is an aerosol consisting of a visible mass of miniature liquid droplets, frozen crystals, or other particles, suspended in the atmosphere of a planetary body or similar space. Water or various other chemicals may ...

s during bright sunshine or

glare Glare may refer to: * Glare (vision), difficulty seeing in the presence of very bright light * Glaring, a facial expression of squinted eyes and look of contempt * A call collision in telecommunications * GLARE, Glass reinforced aluminium, an ...

from snow.

Physician A physician, medical practitioner (British English), medical doctor, or simply doctor is a health professional who practices medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring health through the Medical education, study, Med ...

s have used the goggles to adapt their eyes in preparation for fluoroscopic procedures.

References

* Environment CanadaAtmospheric Environment Services, Manual of Surface Weather Observations (MANOBS), 7th Edition, January 1977. {{Eyewear Meteorological instrumentation and equipment Goggles

Concept

See also

References