Ambulant recording of light for vision and non-visual biological effects

Abstract

Data on the exposure of the human eye to light are essential for investigation into the interaction of light with man. According to present knowledge, two different spectral sensitivities of the visible irradiance are relevant: (1) the spectral luminous efficiency function for vision and (2) the action spectrum for melatonin suppression, also used for other non-visual biological effects. We developed a device called LuxBlick to measure and record both quantities. It consists of two light sensors that are fixed on the wearer’s head, and a control unit and data recording mini-computer worn in a bag around the waist. Real-time data are accessible to those wearing the device. Suitable to be worn in everyday life, the parts at the head are of low mass at the head and inconspicuous.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Hilger E. Lichttherapie bei SAD und S-SAD. In Kasper S , Möller H eds. Herbst-/Winterdepression und Lichttherapie. Springer-Verlag , 2004: 65-77.

Boivin DB , Duffy JF , Kronauer RE , Czeisler CA. Dose-response relationships for resetting of human circadian clock by light . Nature 1996; 379: 540-542 .

Zeitzer J , Dijk D , Kronauer R , Brown E , Czeisler C. Sensitivity of the human circadian pacemaker to nocturnal light: Melatonin phase resetting and suppression . J Physiol 2000; 526: 695-702 .

Cajochen C , Zeitzer J , Czeisler C , Dijk D. Dose-response relationship for light intensity and ocular and electroencephalographic correlates of human alertness . Behav Brain Res 2000; 115: 75-83 .

Schierz C. Leben wir in der “biologischen Dunkelheit” ? Proceedings of the Licht 2002, Maastricht, 2002.

Okudaira N , Kripke DF , Webster JB. Naturalistic studies of human light exposure . Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 1983; 245: R613-R615 .

Savides TJS , Messin S , Senger C , Kripke DF. Natural light exposure of young adults . Physiol Behav 1986; 38: 571-574 .

Koller M , Kundi M , Stidl H , Zidek T , Haider M. Personal light dosimetry in permanent night and day workers . Chronobiol Int 1993; 10: 143-155 .

Iwata T. Field investigations on the exposed illuminance in daily life . Proceedings of the LuxEuropa 2001, Reykjavik, 2001.

10.

Cajochen C , Münch M, Kobialka S , Kräuchli K , Steiner R , Oehlhafen P et al. High sensitivity of human melatonin, alertness, thermoregulation, and heart rate to short wavelength light . J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2005; 90: 1311-1316 .

11.

Brainard GC , Hanifin JP , Greeson JM , Byrne B , Glickman G , Gerner E , Rollag M. Action spectrum for melatonin regulation in humans: evidence for a novel circadian photoreceptor . J Neurosci 2001; 21: 6405-6412 .

12.

Thapan K , Arendt J , Skene DJ. An action spectrum for melatonin suppression: evidence for a novel non-rod, non-cone photoreceptor system in humans . J Physiol 2001; 535): 261-267 .

13.

Gall D. Die Messung circadianer Strahlungsgrössen . Proceedings of the Licht und Gesundheit, Berlin, 2004.

14.

Kaltenbach A, Vollmer C, Blankenhagen C. Entwicklung eines circadianen Gesichtsfeldsensors als Labormuster. Medienprojekt. Technical University of Ilmenau, 2004.

15.

Bierman A , Klein TR , Rea MS. The Daysimeter: a device for measuring optical radiation as a stimulus for the human circadian system . Measurement Sci Technol 2005; 16: 2292-2299 .

16.

DIN 5032 part 6 (December 1985). Lichtmes-sung-Photometer: Begriffe, Eigenschaften und deren Kennzeichnung [Photometry: photo-meters: concepts, characteristics and their designation]. Deutsches Institut für Normung e.V. , 1985.

17.

Kooijman AC. Light distribution on the retina of a wide-angle theoretical eye . J Opt Soc Am 1983; 73: 1544-1550 .

18.

Simpson J , Tarrant AWS. A study of lighting in the home . Lighting Res Technol 1983; 15: 1-8 .

19.

Gall D. Circadiane Lichtgrössen und deren messtechnische Ermittlung . Licht 2002; 11/12: 1292-1297 .

20.

DIN 5032 part 7 (December). Lichtmessung-Klasseneinteilung von Beleuchtusstärke-und Leuchtdichtemessgeräten. [Photometry: classification of illuminance meters and luminance meters]. Deutsches Institut für Normung e.V. , 1985.

21.

Derlofske J , Bierman A , Rea M , Maliyagoda N. Design and optimization of a retinal exposure detector . Proceedings of the SPIE-The International Symposium for Optical Science and Technology, San Diego, 2000.

22.

Aries M , Begemann S , Zonneveldt L , Tenner A. Retinal illuminance from vertical daylight openings in office spaces . Proceedings of the Right Light 5, 2002.

23.

Glickman G , Hanifin J , Rollag M , Wang J , Cooper H , Brainard G. Inferior retinal light exposure is more effective than superior retinal exposure in suppressing melatonin in humans . J Biol Rhythms 2003; 18: 71-79 .

24.

Dacey DM , Liao HW , Peterson BB , Robinson FR , Smith VC , Pokorny J et al. Melanopsin-expressing ganglion cells in primate retina signal colour and irradiance and project to the LGN . Nature 2005; 433: 749-754 .