31 March 2015
A group of biohackers in the US have been testing eye drops to help people see in the dark.
Body modification and biology enthusiasts, Science for the Masses, reportedly boosted the night vision of a test subject enabling him to better identify objects in a darkened environment, with no reported side effects.
The group was able to increase light amplification of the human retina using chlorin e6 (Ce6), which is used in photodynamic therapy for cancer – where the chemical is activated with localised light to activate it and kill cancer cells.
In an open access, non-peer reviewed paper, the group describes its attempts to boost dim light vision by mixing Ce6 with insulin, saline and dimethlysulfoxide (DMSO) as an eye drop preparation. A total of 150µl of the mixture was administered to each eye, before covering them with scleral lenses and sunglasses to avoid light exposure.
After a period of adjustment, the test subject was reportedly able to identify symbols and subjects in a darkened room better than four control subjects. By the following morning, the subject’s sight had returned to normal levels and was reported to have no side effects up to 20 days after the tests.
The group writes: “Given the current results and the previous body of work on the technique, it seems fair to say that this technique is successful in its claims for low light amplification in the human eye.”
Body modification and biology enthusiasts, Science for the Masses, reportedly boosted the night vision of a test subject enabling him to better identify objects in a darkened environment, with no reported side effects.
The group was able to increase light amplification of the human retina using chlorin e6 (Ce6), which is used in photodynamic therapy for cancer – where the chemical is activated with localised light to activate it and kill cancer cells.
In an open access, non-peer reviewed paper, the group describes its attempts to boost dim light vision by mixing Ce6 with insulin, saline and dimethlysulfoxide (DMSO) as an eye drop preparation. A total of 150µl of the mixture was administered to each eye, before covering them with scleral lenses and sunglasses to avoid light exposure.
After a period of adjustment, the test subject was reportedly able to identify symbols and subjects in a darkened room better than four control subjects. By the following morning, the subject’s sight had returned to normal levels and was reported to have no side effects up to 20 days after the tests.
The group writes: “Given the current results and the previous body of work on the technique, it seems fair to say that this technique is successful in its claims for low light amplification in the human eye.”
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