Reported January 2006

BACKGROUND:The Eye Saver Easy Reading Light Bulb is a new product for eye correction that focuses specifically on the needs of people in working environments. It is especially useful for older people suffering from macular degeneration, an age-related common disease that causes loss of visual sharpness. It is also the top cause of vision loss and legal blindness in American adults over 60.

BENEFITS: The Eye Saver provides 40-percent more surface illumination on work and reading surfaces than standard incandescent light bulbs. It also has a frosty finish that reduces eye strain by lowering glare, and lasts twice as long as a standard bulb with an average lifetime of 2000 hours.

WHERE TO FIND IT: The Eye Saver can be purchased through eye care professionals and retailers around the country. See a list online athttp://www.eyesaverbulb.com/

HOW WE SEE: Scientists refer to light as electromagnetic radiation because light waves are the product of electric and magnetic fields traveling together through space. We are able to see the world around us because light reflects off objects and radiates outward in all directions. Our eyes detect light, which the brain then forms into recognizable images. The human eye works in much the same way as a camera captures images on film; its "film" is the retina, a thin layer of neural tissue lining the back of the eye, made of photoreceptor cells that receive light, and other cells that interpret this information and send the signal to the brain via the optic nerve. The retina contains two kinds of photoreceptor cells: cone cells and rod cells. Cone cells are sensitive to bright light and can perceive colors. Rod cells work best in low light and can perceive black and white images.

VISION AND AGE: Susceptibility to vision problems increases with age. Someone who is 60 only gets about 30 percent of the amount of light they would have received in their eye when they were 20. Normal aging of the eye will lead to a decrease in sharpness of vision and focusing power as the eye's lens becomes less flexible. There may also be a decrease in one's ability to distinguish between colors, and to accurately judge distances, as well as an increased sensitivity to glare.

The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc., contributed to the information contained in the TV portion of this report.

If you would like more information, please contact:

Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc.
IEEE-USA
1828 L Street, N.W., Suite 1202
Washington, D.C. 20036-5104
(202) 785-0017
ieeeusa@ieee.org
http://www.ieee.org