Extending Human Vision to Infrared and Ultraviolet Light: A Study Using Micro-Particles and Fluorescent Molecules

Dinesh Dhankhar,Thomas C Cesario,Anushka Nagpal,Peter M Rentzepis,Runze Li,Jie Chen

doi:10.1109/access.2020.2988398

Abstract

In this study, rare earth doped infrared (IR) to visible, up-converting particles along-with efficient ultraviolet (UV) to visible fluorescent molecules were imbedded in proteins and were used as a mean for increasing the human vision range to infrared and ultraviolet wavelengths. Stilbene-420 fluorescent molecules which convert near UV light to blue light, were chosen for the strong overlap of their fluorescence emission with the sensitivity region of blue cone cells and for the ability of blue light to increase the regeneration of bleached visual pigments. Our data show that the up-conversion efficiency of the IR up-converting particles and blue fluorescing molecules efficiencies remained unchanged when these material are imbedded in proteins compared to their efficiencies in water solutions. Addition of up-converting particles to rod visual cells resulted in the bleaching of the visual pigments, rods, when irradiated with infrared light (980 nm) whereas no bleaching was observed, under the same conditions, without the presence of up-converting particles. This suggests that the up-converted green light induced visual process in the rod visual pigments. In addition, we describe the design and present data of a novel optical device, which can be used as eye glasses, utilizing up-converting particles that allows the wearer to see rather intense infrared light.

Highlights

Human eyes do not operate at all wavelengths
The objective of the research presented in this article has been to extend the visual perception region of the human eye by: (a) utilizing up-conversion particles to convert infrared light to visible light which is achieved by multiple sequential excitation of a series of meta-stable excited states to an upper state which emits at shorter wavelengths [1] and (b) conversion of UV light to visible by emission of high efficiency
Multi-photon, IR to visible up-conversion is achieved in rare earth ions such as Er3+, that exhibit spaced intermediate excited states, which are pumped by a narrow bandwidth IR laser, to an upper level which subsequently emits in the visible region

Summary

Introduction

Fluorescence by dye molecules, extend the visual perception of human and animal vision to the ultraviolet and infrared regions. This visual system is expected to find several applications such as, space, security and possibly tackling eye diseases such as color blindness and many others. Multi-photon, IR to visible up-conversion is achieved in rare earth ions such as Er3+, that exhibit spaced intermediate excited states, which are pumped by a narrow bandwidth IR laser, to an upper level which subsequently emits in the visible region.

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