NoIR Medical Technologies has been providing fashionable, functional and affordable sun filters for the partially sighted, post-operative cataract patients and recreationalists since 1973. With over 50 lenses of differing colors and transmission characteristics, the UVShield filter system manages the light that reaches the eyes to maximize functional vision, enhance contrast and provide comfort against disabling glare. By reducing overall light transmission and eliminating bothersome frequencies of light, UVShield filters often increase mobility and provide relief from the light-sensitivity, glare and discomfort related to the onset of macular degeneration and other vision-impairing eye conditions, including night-blindness.

All NoIR and UVShield filters absorb ultraviolet radiation to 400nm-radiation that is causally related to cataract formation. NoIR and UVShield filters attenuate the visible spectrum in varying transmissions from light to very dark, offering the Low Vision patient the most comfortable viewing experience possible. This visible spectrum absorption, especially in the blue and green ranges, protects the retina against long-term exposure to high-energy wavelengths, which are increasingly associated with the deterioration of the center of the retina, and may contribute to the degenerative process culminating in macular degeneration. According to some physicians, the average AMD patient's retina is 30-50% functional and deteriorating, so reducing the energy bombarding the eye may safeguard the aging retinal system. And our NoIR filters also provide protection from the Infrared wavelengths or the heat energy of the sun, which is associated with eye fatigue.

Employing the same technology used for laser protective eyewear, UVShields relieve glare by absorbing the short wavelengths of the visible spectrum that can scatter within the opacities in the ocular media, and allowing only the longer wavelengths to reach the retina. Unlike polarization, which limits glare caused by 'scatter' by reducing only specifically oriented light waves with the spectrum, UVShield's color absorption filters actually prevent greater than 99% of the glare-causing high-energy short wavelengths from reaching the eye. Not only is this absorption of energy the most effective way to reduce glare, it also has the effect of enhancing contrast by highlighting visual distinction.

UVShields are available in a universal fitover style-with critical top and sideshield protection-that fits those who wear prescription glasses as well as those who do not. NoIR's UVShields and GlareShields offer complete protection from the harmful effects of the sun; but more importantly, NoIR's styles provide top and side-shield protection to prevent disabling or distracting light-leaks. Also, most NoIR styles are designed to fit comfortably over prescription glasses, minimizing costs for a lower-income clientele and offering all customers the flexibility of not having to switch back-and-forth between clear and shaded prescription glasses.

As one of the first "Blue Blockers" designed for use with AMD (Macular Degeneration) treatments, the UVShield 40 manages the light reaching the eye to reduce glare, enhance contrast and increase patient comfort and mobility in bright sunlight, all while offering natural color rendition and full coverage and ultraviolet and blue-light protection.

The NoIR Eye Filter System has been embraced and directed by the Professional Low Vision Community, including Novartis Ophthalmics, the Lighthouse International, the United States Veteran's Administration system and countless ophthalmic, optometric and Low Vision agencies throughout the world. UVShield filters set the standard for eye protection with the most comprehensive selection of specialized sunglass filters for the partially sighted community as well as the general population.