Contact lenses with gold nanoparticles can help correct colour blindness

Contact lenses embedded with gold nanoparticles have been used to help correct red–green colour vision deficiency. The researchers believe the lenses will be more comfortable, effective and safer for wearers than the options currently available.

Although many variations exist, the most common kind of colour vision deficiency or ‘blindness’ is when people have difficulty differentiating red from green. People with colour blindness, which mostly affects men, are able to live perfectly normal lives day-to-day. However, not being able to differentiate certain colours can make some tasks difficult and can exclude people from certain jobs, for example, some types of driving. It can also make daily life harder in small ways, for example, not being able to tell if fruit is ripe, pick out clothes of the right colour or appreciate art in the same way as everyone else.