FDA approves first-of-its-kind contact lens that darkens in sunlight
Don't throw away those sunglasses just yet
Don't throw away those sunglasses just yet
Don't throw away those sunglasses just yet
Transition lenses aren't limited to glasses anymore.
The FDA recently approved the first contact lenses with light-adaptive technology that darken when exposed to bright light.
“This contact lens is the first of its kind to incorporate the same technology that is used in eyeglasses that automatically darken in the sun,” Malvina Eydelman, director of the Division of Ophthalmic and Ear, Nose and Throat Devices at the FDA's Center for Devices and Radiological Health, said in a release.
Acuvue Oasys Contact Lenses with Transitions Light Intelligent Technology are soft lenses meant for daily use for people who are nearsighted or farsighted and can be used by people with certain degrees of astigmatism, according to FDA officials.
Officials said the lenses have an additive that changes the amount of visible light filtered through to the eye depending on the amount of UV light to which they are exposed.
While the lenses might dim the world for those who wear contacts, they aren't meant to be a replacement for sunglasses, FDA officials said.