Luminescence- and nanoparticle-mediated increase of light absorption by photoreceptor cells: Converting UV light to visible light.

Lei Li,Wei Chen,Jennifer L Wojtowicz,Eric B Lee,Mingying Peng,John H Malin,Lun Ma,Sunil K Sahi

doi:10.1038/srep20821

Abstract

We developed new optic devices – singly-doped luminescence glasses and nanoparticle-coated lenses that convert UV light to visible light – for improvement of visual system functions. Tb3+ or Eu3+ singly-doped borate glasses or CdS-quantum dot (CdS-QD) coated lenses efficiently convert UV light to 542 nm or 613 nm wavelength narrow-band green or red light, or wide-spectrum white light, and thereby provide extra visible light to the eye. In zebrafish (wild-type larvae and adult control animals, retinal degeneration mutants, and light-induced photoreceptor cell degeneration models), the use of Tb3+ or Eu3+ doped luminescence glass or CdS-QD coated glass lenses provide additional visible light to the rod and cone photoreceptor cells, and thereby improve the visual system functions. The data provide proof-of-concept for the future development of optic devices for improvement of visual system functions in patients who suffer from photoreceptor cell degeneration or related retinal diseases.

Highlights

We developed new optic devices – singly-doped luminescence glasses and nanoparticle-coated lenses that convert UV light to visible light – for improvement of visual system functions
We fabricated Tb3+ or Eu3+ singly-doped borate glasses and CdS-quantum dot (CdS-QD) nanoparticle-coated lenses that convert UV light to visible light which can be absorbed by human photoreceptor cells
While the addition of UV light (Deuterium light, 365 nm or 395 nm wavelength; maximum intensity, 50 lux) produced no effect on the light threshold required to evoke the startle responses, when UV light was converted to narrow-band green light by Tb3+ doped glasses and co-applied with white light, increases of light sensitivity were observed, i.e., the light threshold that evoked the startle responses decreased to − 2.23 ± 0.20 and − 3.12 ± 0.29 log units (Fig. 2A,B)

Summary

Introduction

We developed new optic devices – singly-doped luminescence glasses and nanoparticle-coated lenses that convert UV light to visible light – for improvement of visual system functions. In zebrafish (wild-type larvae and adult control animals, retinal degeneration mutants, and light-induced photoreceptor cell degeneration models), the use of Tb3+ or Eu3+ doped luminescence glass or CdS-QD coated glass lenses provide additional visible light to the rod and cone photoreceptor cells, and thereby improve the visual system functions. The data provide proof-of-concept for the future development of optic devices for improvement of visual system functions in patients who suffer from photoreceptor cell degeneration or related retinal diseases. We tested the effect of converted light in visual performance in zebrafish (wild-type controls, retinal degeneration mutants, and light-induced photoreceptor cell apoptosis models) using different types of behavioral assays. The data provide direct evidence for the usefulness of converted light (from UV light) for visual improvement in vertebrate animals

Methods

Results

Conclusion