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Protect your eyes from long term damage
Our GREEN-Light protects you from the leading risk of blindness amongst people 60+ in the US: age related macular degeneration (AMD). AMD blurs the sharp central vision you need in everyday life to read, drive and watch TV for example.
Avoid eye pain and headaches
Did you know that 80% of people using bright light abandon the treatment because they can't stand the glare anymore? At 300 lux of green color our lamp outputs 30 times less light so you get the benefits of light therapy without the discomfort, headaches and eyestrain. The soft glow of our lamp is as comfortable and safe as normal indoor lighting.
Use the best solution on the market
Studies by the U.S. Air Force and the Canadian Defense Department's R&D Center, have found our GREEN-Light to be the best light in shifting the circadian rhythm♦.
"The light visor, the Litebook, and the LED spectacles caused more eye discomfort than the GREEN-Lite. Conclusion: The light tower was the best device, producing melatonin suppression and circadian phase change while relatively free of side effects.[...]
Clearly, the GREEN-Lite was the best choice of these four devices in that it produced good circadian phase change and did not have any significant negative side effects."
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Fig. 3.
Percent A) melatonin suppression and B) circadian phase delay. All values are mean ± SEM and are plotted over phototherapeutic treatment conditions.  |
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Fig. 5.
Subjective impact of phototherapy across devices on A) psychomotor performance, B) eye discomfort, C) difficulty viewing the computer monitor, and D) difficulty reading a book or magazine. All values are mean ± SEM and are plotted over phototherapeutic device.  |
Circadian Phase Delay Induced by Phototherapeutic Devices.
Paul MA, Miller
JC,. Gray G, Buick F, Blazeski S, Arendt J.
Aviation, Space, and
Environmental Medicine.
July 2007; 78(7):645-52
Don't take our word for it: the full text of this study is available for free online
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Fight the winter blues !
Light therapy is the recommended treatment for SAD by the American Psychiatric Association. It quickly heals 85% of SAD sufferers who use it, without medication.
Boost your energy !
Get rid of that energy drop and switch back into summer mode. By using our GREEN-Lite your body's clock will think the days are longer and let your energy levels go back to their maximum.
Increase alertness !
Our light helps you synchronize your sleep cycle: Two independent study by the U.S. Air Force and the Canadian Forces found our lamp was the best over its rivals for regulating the circadian rhythms, which determines your sleep cycle.
Keep your eyes safe and comfortable
With your GREEN-Lite, your eyes will be safe and comfortable. You will wake up happy and alert every morning. By using our unique patented light bulb, you will re-sync your biological rhythm and feel like It's summer time all year long.
Act now! We offer a full 30 days money back guarantee.
Use the best and the safest
Harvard University scientists have selected our low-intensity GREEN-Light lamps for the international space project: "the 105 day Mars Mission." The astronauts will be able to fight fatigue and stay alert thanks to our lamps, just like you♦.
"Lo-LIGHT Selected for the 105 day Mars Mission"
Harvard University Selects Low-Intensity GreenLIGHT Lamps for Space Study
Harvard University has selected Sunnex Biotechnologies Lo-LIGHT lamps for a study to evaluate lighting interventions for countering sleep disruption due to shift work or long hours in an international space project, the 105 day Mars Mission. The study, Operational Evaluation of a Photic Countermeasure to Improve Alertness, Performance, and Mood During Night-Shift Work on the 105-Day Study (105-Day Russian Chamber Study), is being funded by the National Space Biomedical Research Institute in Houston, Texas.
The 105-Day Mars Mission, a partnership between Russia's Institute of Biomedical Problems and the European Space Agency, is the precursor to a 520-Day mission, the Mars 500 project, scheduled for 2010. The isolation facility consists of several interconnected, modules containing medical and scientific research areas, living quarters, a kitchen, greenhouse and exercise facility.The crew, composed of four Russians and two Europeans, simulated a 105-day Mars mission full of experiments and realistic mission scenarios.
The Lighting Intervention Study, with lead investigator Dr. Charles A. Czeisler of Harvard University, compared the effects of different wavelengths of light on performance, alertness, and mood during the night shift. The trials consited of two different wavelengths of light in the green spectrum, a shorter wavelength green light [the Sunnex Biotechnologies GreenLIGHT], and a medium wavelength green light(445-455 nm), as well as a control condition with longer wavelength (620 -690 nm) red light. Crew members and mission control personnel participated.
The experiment, which replicated studies done in sleep laboratories, examined the effect of exposure to Sunnex Biotechnologies low-intensity Lo-LIGHT lamp on job performance in the middle of the night and when participants have been awake for a long time. It is anticipated that by applying understandings developed in sleep laboratories to an operational environment like the 105 day Mars Mission, it will be learned how to best utilize light management on an actual spaceflight.
It is also expected that the findings of these studies will have an impact beyond the space program and that the lessons learned in these trials will be applicable to people working the night shift. The patented low-intensity Sunnex Biotechnologies GreenLIGHT technology is unique in that it can be adapted safely and comfortably into almost any work environment. Enhancing performance during the night shift by regulating circadian rhythms with light management will be useful for a wide variety of 24/7 operations.
Understandings gained in the trials on the 105 Day Mars Mission with the Sunnex Biotechnologies Lo-LIGHT should benefit many night shift workers, especially those working in positions where alertness during the night shift is essential. This includes first responders, medical staff in hospitals, air traffic controllers, power plant and resource plant control room operators, as well as people working in the transportation industry and conducting military operations.
Note: Much of the information on this page is taken from the NSBRI press release and web site. See
105-Day Mars Simulation: U.S. Studies Focus on Improving Work Performance
and Summary of Light Study to improve alertness, performance, and mood during the night shift .
In studies conducted by the U.S. Air Force and the Canadian Defense Department's R&D Center, our lamp was found to be the best light therapy lamp compared with other light therapy devices even thought it emits 25 times less light♦.
A study conducted by Dr. A. J. Lewy, the originator of bright light therapy for winter depression, found that our lamp induced an equivalent physiological effect to bright white light, as measured by shifts in their circadian rhythms♦.
"CONCLUSIONS: The magnitude of the phase shifts are comparable to those obtained using high-intensity white light in winter-depressives. The phase response curve (PRC) for [the Sunnex Biotechnology lamp] green light shown above is roughly twelve hours out of phase with the PRC for oral melatonin administration. This preliminary study shows that low-intensity green light may be useful in the treatment of some chronobiologic disorders."
Phase Curve of Low Intensity Green Light in Winter Depressives.
S. Ahmed, N.L. Cutler, A.J. Lewy, V.K. Bauer, R.L. Sack and M.S. Cardoza. Sleep Research 1995; 24:508
The results of these studies are consistent with a number of other independent studies that have demonstrated that our low intensity GREEN-Light has the equivalent effect of 10,000 lux of white light.
For almost 15 years our customers have kept their eyes safe and enjoyed the benefits of light therapy for sleep and mood disorders including SAD.
Try it out for yourself and your eyes today.
Why you should care about "AMD"
AMD (Age-related Macular Degeneration) is the leading cause of irreversible vision loss amongst people 60 and older in the US. The most common form of AMD gradually blurs the sharp central vision you need in everyday life to read, drive and watch TV for example. A less common form of AMD causes sudden and total blockage of central vision.
All humans suffer from AMD: if one lives long enough, he will eventually lose his vision. By age 75, more than one in every three people has Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD), and this increases to over one half of people by age 85. It is therefore important to protect your eyes in order to push the onset of AMD as far as possible in the future.
Make sure you do not have AMD earlier in your life
Researchers have expressed concern regarding the use of bright light therapy because the visible blue light wavelengths emitted by these bright light therapy lamps may cause retinal damage and could contribute to the development of age related blindness♦. This follows earlier cautions that users of bright light therapy lamps be screened by ophthalmologists, and that persons with pre-existing retinal conditions or other risk factors abstain from treatment or be closely monitored♦.
"It should be noted that broad-spectrum white light, traditionally used for bright light therapy, also contains blue light of potential concern particularly for very high intensity, long-duration exposure. Clearly, the safety of bright light therapy for people needs investigating. In the meantime it would be suggested that light in the 500 to 530 nm wavelength range (blue–green) should still be effective while avoiding the putative blue hazard."
Clinical Management of Delayed Sleep Phase Disorder.
L. Lack. Behavioral Sleep Medicine 2007, Vol. 5, No. 1, Pages 57-76.
"We strongly recommend that ophthalmological investigation be mandatory in all forms of light therapy, even when there is no history of eye complaint, for the following reasons. 1) Artificial light of the brightness used in light therapy (of the order of 2000 lux) could exacerbate any existing retinopathy, and 2) eye damage discovered subsequent to light therapy could be wrongly attributed to the treatment".
Retinopathy and Bright Light Therapy.
W. Vanselow, L. Dennerstein, S. Armstrong, and P. Lockie. American Journal of Psychiatry 1991; 148(9):1267-1268
"In recent years, bright light treatment of seasonal affective disorder (SAD), recurrent depressions in fall and winter, has been discovered. Newer applications include circadian sleep phase disorder, shift work and jet lag... safety measures for bright light therapy are proposed. They include recommendations for lamps devoid of damaging spectral emissions and standardized therapy fixtures, ophthalmological monitoring of patients with eye diseases and control by optometrists for patients with healthy eyes who are likely to undergo light treatment for extended periods."
Bright Light Therapy in Focus: Lamp Emission Spectra and Ocular Safety.
C.E. Reme, P. Rol, K. Grothmann, H. Kaase, M. Terman. Technology and Health Care 1996;4(4):403-13.
"As exposure to intense light for phototherapy and severe depression treatment is presently common, a potential danger for phototoxicity is great."
Yearly Review: Ocular Damage.
S. Zigman. Photochemistry and Photobiology 1993;57(6): 1060-1068
"There should be no lingering doubt that a basic ocular screening is an essential safety precaution."
"Ophthalmological screening- which is quite routine - seems to us to be mandatory. This should be followed by ophthalmological surveillance of light-treated patients with retinal pathology."
"Is there a relation between bright light exposure and retinal pathology? Long term light exposure may be a factor contributing to normal aging, age related degenerative diseases and certain inflammatory responses."
Does Light Therapy Present an Ocular Hazard.
C.E. Reme and M. Terman. American Journal of Psychiatry 1992; 149(12): 1762-3
"Light as an environmental factor has been shown to be toxic to rod photoreceptors if the retina is exposed to either high light intensities or to continuous light over a long period of time. The underlying reason for photoreceptor apoptosis is thought to be the oxidative stress induced by excessive light."
"Taken together, these results support the idea that light-induced cell death is mediated by a number of different pathways, some of which are mediated directly by the photoreceptors and start with the absorption of photons"
Lack of p75 Receptor does not Protect Photoreceptors from Light-Induced Cell Death.
Rohrer B, Matthes MT, LaVail MM, Reichardt LF. Exp Eye Res 2003 Jan;76(1):125-9
"The etiology of age-related macular degeneration (ARMD) is multifactorial, but visible light may play a role in the pathogenesis of this potentially devastating disease. In the Maryland watermen study, advanced ARMD was more common in men exposed to increased levels of blue light (400-500 nm), but not in those with increased levels of ultraviolet exposure. Similarly, the Beaver Dam Eye Study found that exposure to visible light was associated with ARMD in men. No association between sunlight and ARMD was found in women in that study, but the authors proposed that the women studied may have had less sunlight exposure...Visible light has also been responsible for acute photic retinopathy caused by the operating room microscope."
Refraction, Spectacles, Contact Lenses, and Visual Rehabilitation
S.M. Stenson, C.E. West. American Academy of Ophthalmologists LEO Clinical Topic Update; April 2003
"Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is thought to be the result of a lifetime of oxidative insult that results in photoreceptor death within the macula. Increased risk of AMD may result from low levels of lutein and zeaxanthin (macular pigment) in the diet, serum or retina, and excessive exposure to blue light.
Lutein and Zeaxanthin Dietary Supplements Raise Macular Pigment Density and Serum Concentrations of these Carotenoids in Humans.
Bone RA, Landrum JT, Guerra LH, Ruiz CA. Journal of Nutrition 2003 Apr;133(4):992-8
"with very intense light exposure, or with ambient light exposure to the aged eye and/or young or adult eye in the presence of light-activated (photosensitizing) drugs or dietary supplements, cosmetics, or diagnostic dyes, light can be hazardous, leading to blinding disorders. Light damage to the human eye is avoided because the eye is protected by a very efficient antioxidant system and the chromophores present absorb light and dissipate its energy. After middle age, there is a decrease in the production of antioxidants and antioxidant enzymes and an accumulation of endogenous chromophores that are phototoxic."
Screening for Ocular Phototoxicity.
Roberts JE. Int J Toxicol 2002 Nov-Dec;21(6):491-500
The patented light therapy technology used in a GREEN-Light therapy lamp eliminates this potential risk of retinal damage associated with "bright light" therapy lamps. GREEN-Light lamps are effective at normal indoor intensity. GREEN-Light therapy lamps also screen out the hazardous blue wavelengths of visible light that present the risk of damage to the retina.
People using "Bright Light" therapy while taking photosensitizing medications suffer an increased risk of eye damage. These medications, which sensitize the eye to damage by visible light, include nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), most antidepressants, some antibiotics, diuretics, beta-blockers and other heart medications. Guidelines have been established recommending that "Bright-Light" therapy not be used with these photosensitizing medications♦.
"Furthermore, photosensitizing drugs can potentiate the damaging effects of ultraviolet and visible radiation on the eye."
"We recommend the following precautions. a washout period for potentially dangerous drugs before extended exposure to bright lights."
Exposure to Bright Light and the Concurrent Use of Photosensitizing Drugs.
J.E. Roberts, C.E. Reme , J. Dillon, and M. Terman. New England Journal of Medicine. 1992; 326(22): 1500-01
"PURPOSE: To report a unique case of a woman who developed simultaneous bilateral maculopathy presumed to result from intake of sertraline hydrochloride, a serotonin reuptake inhibitor.
..during twenty months of follow-up her visual acuity and abnormalities in other psychophysical tests did not improve.
CONCLUSION: Patients started on sertraline should be informed of the potential risk of developing maculopathy, and they should be examined regularly to detect possible early alterations.
Presumed Sertraline Maculopathy.
Sener EC, Kiratli H. Acta Ophthalmol Scand 2001; 79(4):428-30.
"Despite the presence of such a multitude of antioxidative mechanisms, defence against phototoxicity can still be overwhelmed, even with seemingly non-harmful ambient light when the retina is presented with exogenous photosensitizing agents. This class of drugs and chemicals, when excited by appropriate wavelengths of light, undergo photosensitized oxidative reactions leading to free radical and singlet oxygen formation."
"There is a vast number of potential photosensitizing drugs in clinical use ...from antibiotics, psychoactive drugs, antiarrhythmic drugs and diuretics ... have been implicated in causing drug-induced RPE disturbances, impaired visual acuity and defective visual fields highlighting the importance of eliciting a thorough drug history before subjecting patients to unprotected light exposure. This is of particular relevance in intraocular surgery where prolonged and direct illumination of the retina with strong light source may be used, and in light therapy for Seasonal Affective Disorder [SAD] for which neuroleptics and antidepressants are often concomitantly prescribed."
Toxicology of the Retina: Advances in Understanding the Defence Mechanisms and Pathogenesis of Drug- and Light-Induced Retinopathy.
Siu TL, Morley JW and Coroneo MT. Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology 2008; 36:176-185.
"BACKGROUND: to report on the possible correlation between incident retinal phototoxicity and the use of photosensitizing drugs.
The common finding in these four patients was the fact that they were all taking one or more photosensitizing drugs (hydrochlorothiazide, furosemide, allopurinol, and benzodiazepines).
CONCLUSION: phototoxicity following incidental light exposure may occur in patients taking drugs of photosensitizing potential. Therefore, the thorough history of systemic drug ingestion should be obtained if patients have exposure to strong light sources."
Incidental Retinal Phototoxicity Associated with Ingestion of Photosensitizing Drugs.
Mauget-Faysse M, Quaranta M, Francoz N, BenEzra D. Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol 2001; 239(7):501-8
"we examined the potential photoxicity of six common antidepressant and neuroleptic drugs (Amitrityline (AM), Chlorpromazine (CPZ), Imipramine (IM), Iprindol (IP), Prozac (PR), and Thioridazine (TH). We found that the potential of phototoxicity of the six drugs tested was CP=IP > TH > IM > AM=PR"
Potential Ocular Phototoxicity of Antidepressant Drugs with Light Therapy of Winter Depressives.
R.H. Wang, C.E. Reme, R. Whitt, J. Dillon, and J.E. Roberts. Photodermatology Photoimmunology & Photomedicine 1991;8(1):49
"In addition to tissue damage caused directly by light absorption, light toxicity can be produced by the presence of photosensitizing agents. Drugs excited to reactive states by ultraviolet (UV) or visible light produce damage by type I (free radical) and type II (oxygen dependent) mechanisms. Some commonly used drugs, such as certain antibiotics, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), and psychotherapeutic agents, as well as some popular herbal medicines, can produce ocular phototoxicity."
Phototoxicity to the Retina: Mechanisms of Damage.
Glickman RD.Int J Toxicol 2002 Nov-Dec;21(6):473-90
"Our previous work has demonstrated that melatonin treatment increases the sensitivity of the rat retina to light-induced photoreceptor cell death. This raises the possibility that inappropriate exposure of photoreceptors to melatonin may result in visual impairment, caused by a loss of retinal photoreceptors."
Regulation of Gene Expression by Melatonin: A Microarray Survey of the Rat Retina.
Wiechmann AF. J Pineal Res 2002 Oct;33(3):178-85
"neovascular AMD was positively associated with thiazide diuretics (p<0.001)" "Conclusions: These findings suggest that severe neovascular AMD are associated with thiazide diuretics long-lasting treatment.
Drugs-Induced Phototoxicity as a Risk for Age-Related Macular Degeneration
E. de la marnierre, M. Quaranta, M. Mauget-Faysse. ARVO 2001: 4296
"Ocular morphology is specifically directed at facilitating the transmittance of visible light to the retina for the purposes of photoreceptor absorption and phototransduction, thereby initiating the process of vision. By absorbing excess radiation, melanin significantly enhances this process. It can also act as a photoprotector by quenching reactive oxygen species and other radicals produced as a result of the high oxygen dependency of the retina for its metabolism. However, melanin also binds numerous pharmaceuticals, a process that can result in ocular toxicity."
"Many of the drugs that have been identified as causing these effects are known photosensitizers in which radiation plays a significant role in eliciting the pathologies. The phototoxic effects range from minor histological/ chemical changes, which do not impact the quality of vision, to pigmentary retinopathies, which could potentially involve the loss of sight."
Retinal Pigment Epithelium Melanin and Ocular Toxicity.
Dayhaw-Barker P. Int J Toxicol 2002 Nov-Dec;21(6):451-4
"Vigabatrin (VGA, Sabril™), a structural analog of gamma-aminobutyric acid, is an irreversible inhibitor of gamma-aminobutyric acid transaminase. Because of its effects on GABA accumulation in the extracellular space, VGA is being developed as an antiepileptic agent for drug-resistant seizures. Oculotoxicity of VGA was first characterized as visual field defects. VGA may also induce optic nerve atrophy and it has recently been shown that VGA induces apoptosis in photoreceptors.
These observations indicate that VGA’s oculotoxicity is acute when the retina is exposed to light."
Phototoxic Effects of Vigabatrin (Sabril™) in the Acute Rat Retinal Preparation.
Y.Izumi, M.Ishikawa, A.M. Benz, M.Izumi, C.F. Zorumski, ARVO 2003: 2850/B689
A case report in the American Journal of Psychiatry described a person who combined the use of "Bright Light" therapy and an antidepressant medication. After five days of using light therapy this patient suffered a "marked reduction in visual acuity contrast sensitivity." Retinal examination found lesions in the retinas of both eyes.♦
"Mr. A was a 35 year old man who suffered from recurrent depression, seasonal pattern. No retinal abnormalities were found at two routine ophthalmologic examinations performed 3 months and 1 week before the start of a 2-week cycle of daily 60 minutes bright light therapy sessions with full spectrum flourescent light. During treatment he continued his current medication of clomipramine, 100 mg/day. After 5 days there was a marked reduction of visual acuity and contrast sensitivity. Results of an Amsler test revealed a relative central scotoma, and static perimetry showed a marked decrease in foveal threshold in both eyes. A central yellowish-white lesion with surrounding orange-red halo was also found in both eyes."
"In conclusion, photic maculopathy in this patient appeared to be related to the association of bright-light therapy, photosensitizing medication and long term exposure to sunlight."
Photic Maculopathy in a Patient Receiving Bright Light Therapy.
P.E. Gallenga, L. Lobefalo, L. Mastropasqua, A. Liberatoscioli. American Journal of Psychiatry 1997; 154(9): 1319
Other people, apart from those taking photosensitizing medications, should be particularly cautious about using "bright light" therapy. These include people with a pre-existing ocular condition or susceptibility for retinal damage, such as those with diabetes. Older people should also be wary of bright light therapy. As we age, we experience a increased susceptibility to light-induced damage in retinal tissue, which results from an age-related decline in the ability of retinal defense mechanisms to repair oxidative damage. This susceptibility increases the risk in older people of retinal damage and permanent blindness.♦
"We have known for some time that exposure to intense artificial light and sunlight either causes or exacerbates age-related ocular diseases. We now know many of the reasons for these effects"
"Because the eye is constantly subjected to ambient radiation, each portion of the eye contains very efficient defense systems. ... Unfortunately, most of these protective enzymes decrease beginning at 40 years of age."
"The leading cause of irreversible blindness in the increasingly aged population is macular degeneration...Visible and/or blue light are particularly damaging to the aging retina because it has lost its anti-oxidant protection... At the same time these protective agents are becoming depleted, the aging retina also accumulates fluorescent phototoxic chromophores. Visible light activates these chromophores and produces reactive oxygen species (ROS). The production of ROS in aged RPE (retinal pigment epithelium) cells leads to apoptosis and cell death. One of the functions of the RPE is to transport nutrients to the photoreceptor cells. With the death of the RPE cells the photoreceptor cells are no longer nourished and they die off. The result is as loss of vision."
Ocular Phototoxicity.
Roberts JE. J Photochem Photobiol B 2001 Nov 15;64(2-3):136-43
"The photoreceptors of the retina present a puzzling phenomenon: they can be injured or even destroyed by light, the very element they are designed to detect."
"An intriguing question is whether certain wavelengths of the visible spectrum may preferentially induce apoptosis in the retina. Linked to this is the inquiry about the chromophore(s) and the death pathways mediating light-induced apoptosis. We obtained a striking all-or-none response when albino rats were exposed to either monochromatic blue light of 403 nm (3.1 mW/cm2) or monochromatic green light of 550 nm (8.7 mW/cm2)... No apoptosis and no other light-induced lesions could be found in green light-exposed eyes, whereas massive apoptotic cell death occurred after illumination with blue light"
Apoptosis in the Retina: The Silent Death of Vision
Charlotte E. Remé, Christian Grimm, Farhad Hafezi, Andreas Wenzel and Theodore P. Williams News in Physiological Sciences 2000; 15(3):120-124
" The retina represents a paradox, in that, while light and oxygen are essential for vision, these conditions also favour the formation of reactive oxygen species leading to photochemical damage to the retina. Such light damage seems to be multi-factorial and is dependent on the photoreactivity of a variety of chromophores endogenous to the retina."
"Light is essential for vision but the trade off is the generation of potentially damaging reactive oxygen species within the eye."
"It is tempting to suggest that the inter-individual variability in the onset and severity of disease dependent on both light exposure and the concentration of retinal chromophores."
Retinal Photodamage.
Boulton M, Rozanowska M, Rozanowski B. J Photochem Photobiol B 2001 Nov 15;64(2-3):144-61
"The high-energy segment of the visible region (400-500 nm) is enormously more hazardous than the low energy portion (from 500-700 nm). Because the transition occurs at the border between the perceived colors of green and blue, the phenomenon is known as blue light hazard".
Solar Radiation and Age Related Macular Degeneration.
R.W. Young. Survey of Ophthalmology 1988; 32(4): 252-269
"Blue-light injury can result from viewing either extremely bright light for a short time or less bright light for a longer time."
"Excessive light exposure in the elderly may be particularly risky, since the biological repair processes at the cellular level are generally considered to be less effective as one ages."
Ocular Injury Due to Light Toxicity.
D.H. Sliney. International Ophthalmology Clinics 1988;28(3):246-250
"Evidence has accumulated that excessive light exposure may promote age-related and inherited retinal degeneration, in which photoreceptor death by apoptosis leads to loss of vision."
Prevention of Photoreceptor Apoptosis by Activation of the Glucocorticoid Receptor.
Wenzel A, Grimm C, Seeliger MW, Jaissle G, Hafezi F, Kretschmer R, Zrenner E, Reme CE. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2001 Jun;42(7):1653-9
"In all animals, retinal light damage was the most severe when intense light exposure began during the dark period. However, this severe damage was significantly reduced by pretreatment with the antioxidant.... Our data support the notion of a circadian rhythm of light damage susceptibility that peaks in the dark period and yet can be modulated by the exogenous administration of an antioxidant."
Evidence for a Circadian Rhythm of Susceptibility to Retinal Light Damage.
Vaughan DK, Nemke JL, Fliesler SJ, Darrow RM, Organisciak DT. Photochem Photobiol 2002;75(5): 547-53
"The retina can be damaged by light even when levels of energy are well below the threshold for thermal damage, and the experimental damage of the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) may be induced more easily by blue light than by longer wavelengths of visible light."
Observation of Ultrastructural Changes in Cultured Retinal Pigment Epithelium following exposure to Blue Light.
Pang J, Seko Y, Tokoro T, Ichinose S, Yamamoto H. Graefes Archives for Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology 1998; 236(9):696-701
"The effectiveness of light in inducing photodamage to the retina increases with decreasing wavelength from 500 to 400 nm."
"It is now well established that photoretinopathy is a cumulative process, and chronic light damage may be one of the factors contributing to the development of age-related macular degeneration (AMRD)."
Recent Studies on Photodamage to the Eye with Special Reference to Clinical and Therapeutic Procedures.
U.P. Andley, and L.T. Chylack Jr. Photodermatology Photoimmunology and Photomedicine 1990; 7:98-105
Exposure to blue visible light causes oxidative damage in the retina. Oxidative debris that results from this damage accumulates in the retina over a lifetime and is related to the development of age-related blindness. By age 75, more than one in every three people has Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD), and this increases to over one half of people by age 85.
For people suffering from SAD it is worth considering the two devastating effects of AMD: loss of vision and depression. Here is what Herbert Kern, the first person to use bright light therapy and therefore the person with the longest history of bright light therapy use, said in the Sept 14, 2007 issue of Science regarding his developing AMD. After explaining that light therapy became less and less effective for him over the years as his eyesight faded, he said "Now I can hardly see, and all hell has broken loose" "I have had periods of depression lasting over a year, and highs lasting as long."
Blue Light Therapy: Hazard to Vision
As the awareness that the effectiveness of light therapy is dependent on wavelength as well as intensity has grown, there has been an attempt to promote light therapy made up of, or supplemented with increased levels of blue light.
The compelling evidence that has accumulated from numerous studies over the past few years regarding the role that exposure to blue visible light plays in the development of AMD (Age-related Macular Degeneration) has led leading experts to caution the public that the detrimental effects of oxidative stress in the retina caused by blue light exposure accumulates over a lifetime and contributes to the development of AMD and that people should therefore restrict exposure to blue light wavelengths as much as possible.
Some manufacturers of light therapy units that emit high proportions of blue light wavelengths claim that an authoritative source has determined their products are safe. An examination of these claims show that the rationale for the safety of these products is based on the intensity of blue light needed to induce a retinal lesion in an animal retina, 50% of the time. This manner of analysis for acute retinal damage, whether flawed or not, is not logically applicable to a determination of the hazard to vision from AMD, the pathogenesis of which appears to be related to cumulative sub-threshold retinal stress over a lifetime.
The same authoritative source cited by these light therapy device manufacturers to support the claim their devices are safe is an author of a paper that states "we believe that there is support for the long-held belief that light has a role in the pathogenesis of ARMD. That is, the recent findings that antioxidant therapy has a protective effect confirms that oxidative stress has a role in the pathogenesis of AMD and laboratory studies have demonstrated that light, and in particular blue light, is a source of oxidative stress via its interaction with retinal chromophores. Therefore a reduction in blue light exposure might reasonably be expected to reduce progression in ARMD"♦. This is consistent with other investigators who have explained that "avoiding exposures to bright short-wavelength [blue] light is the simplest preventative measure against light damage"♦.
Do blue light filters confer protection against age-related macular degeneration?
Prog Retin Eye Res. 2004 Sep;23(5):523-31. Margrain TH, Boulton M, Marshall J, Sliney DH.
"elevated chronic exposure to light has been identified as a risk factor for development of AMD. ...avoiding exposures to bright short-wavelength [blue] light is the simplest preventative measure against light damage."
Light-Induced Damage to the Retina: Role of Rhodopsin Chromophore Revisited.
Photochem Photobiol. 2005 Nov-Dec;81(6):1305-30. Review. Rozanowska M. Sarna T
Use Light Therapy and Keep Your Eyes Safe
Repeated exposure to high levels of light combined with the deterioration of anti-oxidative protective mechanisms that occurs with age contribute to the development of oxidative debris within the retina and in the region immediately adjacent to it. AMD results from the accumulation of this oxidative debris which is itself phototoxic. Some investigators link the development of AMD with the levels of visible light exposure for at least the twenty year period before symptoms emerge. More recently, evidence indicates that increasing daily exposure to blue visible light of young adults may advance the onset of AMD by 10 years♦
"Results: While controlling for age and sex, we found that participants exposed to the summer sun for more than 5 hours a day during their teens, in their 30s, and at the baseline examination were at a higher risk of developing increased retinal pigment and early ARM by 10 years than those exposed less than 2 hours per day during the same periods."
"If cumulative sun exposure is related to the incidence of increased retinal pigment or early ARM, it is hypothetically the effect of exposure to visible rather than UV light. Previous studies have not found ARM to be associated with cumulative UV-A or UV-B exposure, but support associations between ARM and ocular exposure to visible blue light."
Sunlight and the 10-year Incidence of Age-Related Maculopathy: The Beaver Dam Eye Study.
Tomany SC, Cruickshanks KJ, Klein R, Klein BE, Knudtson MD Arch Ophthalmol. 2004 May;122(5):750-7.
"Compared with age-matched controls, patients with macular degeneration had significantly higher exposure to blue or visible light in the preceding 20 years but were not different in respect to exposure to UV-A or UV-B. These data suggest that high levels of exposure to blue or visible light may cause ocular damage, especially later in life, and may be related to the development of age-related macular degeneration."
The Long Term Effects of Visible Light on the Eye.
H.R. Taylor, S. West, B. Munoz, F.S. Rosenthal, S.B. Bressler, and N.M. Bressler. Archives of Ophthalmology 1992; 110:99-104
"Our data support the hypothesis that exposure to bright visible light may be associated with ARM (age-related maculopathy)".
Sunlight and Age-Related Macular Degeneration. The Beaver Dam Eye Study.
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
120V
50-60 Hz
20 watts
Electronic flicker free ballast for even more eye comfort
CSA approved for use in North America
Uses handmade narrow bandwidth green fluorescent light.
Uses two light filters to block all light below green frequency including UV and blue light.
Light spectrum: narrow bandwidth green light from 485 to 515 nm with peak at 500-505 nm.
Light bulb rated at 4,000 hours of use. Typical usage is 75 hours a year per person.
Light output: 300 lux of safe light.
19.5” width by 6” high by 6” deep.
US patent # 5,447,527
Canadian patent # 1,334,399
