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Dark adaptor goggles, also called red adaptation goggles, are goggles are made with red-tinted plastic lenses. They were invented by Wilhelm Trendelenburg in 1916, based on the work by Antoine Béclère on dark adaptation of the eye. The eyewear are often used by observers to preserve their natural night vision.

Concept

Dark adaptor goggles are goggles made with red-tinted plastic lenses. Dark adaptor goggles were invented by Wilhelm Trendelenburg in 1916.^[1] The concept is based on the work by Antoine Béclère on dark adaptation of the eye, where it is noted that fluoroscopy relies on the use of the retinal rods of the eye. Since retinal rods have limited sensitivity to long wavelengths of light, such as red light, while retinal cones do not, the goggles enabled the physicians to adapt their eyes in preparation for the fluoroscopic procedure while still being able to perform other work. Prior to the invention of these goggles, physicians were required to sit in the darkened room where the procedure would be performed for extended periods to adapt their eyes to the low lighting conditions.

Dark adaptor goggles are often used by pilots, weather observers, and physicians to preserve their natural night vision. In particular, the dark adaptor googles are used in the field of meteorology and astronomy for adapting the eyes to the dark prior to an observation at night. They also aid with the identification of clouds during bright sunshine or glare from snow. Physicians have used the goggles to adapt their eyes in preparation for fluoroscopic procedures.

See also

• Purkinje effect

References

• Environment Canada – Atmospheric Environment Services, Manual of Surface Weather Observations (MANOBS), 7th Edition, January 1977.