The Effects of a Blue-Light Filtering Versus Clear Intraocular Implant on Color Appearance

More than a dozen studies have investigated whether blue-light filtering (BLF) intraocular lens (IOL) implants influence color vision, generally finding they do not. These studies have not tested color vision per se; rather, they have measured color vision deficiencies or chromatic discrimination. Here, we used additive trichromatic colorimetry to assess color appearance in participants with BLF and clear IOL.

Seventy-six participants were recruited from two populations: older participants (n = 52) with BLF and clear IOL (n = 98 eyes; M = 67.33 ± 7.48 years; 58.8% female; 25.5% non-White), and young adult control participants (n = 24; M = 21.0 ± 5.13 years; 70.8% female; 41.5% non-White). Participants used a custom-built tricolorimeter to mix three primaries until a perceived perfect neutral white was achieved. Color appearance, expressed as chromaticity coordinates, was measured with a spectral radiometer (ILS950).

Between subjects, the BLF IOL chromaticity coordinates (x = 0.34, y = 0.35, u' = 0.21, v' = 0.48) were not significantly different from the clear IOL (x = 0.34, y = 0.33, u' = 0.22, v' = 0.48). BLF and clear IOL were also not different within-contralateral subjects (n = 21; BLF x = 0.34, y = 0.33, u' = 0.22, v' = 0.47; clear x = 0.34, y = 0.33, u' = 0.21, v' = 0.48). Both IOL groups differed from young adults (v'[0.45; P = 0.001], x[0.31; P = 0.008], and y[ 0.30, P < 0.000], but not u'[0.21]).

One advantage of geometric representation of color space is the ability to specify the appearance (rather than spectral composition) of any light mixture by specific coordinates. Using this system, only minor differences in color appearance were found between a BLF, clear IOL, and young natural lens.

When color perception is directly measured, the BLF and clear IOL are not meaningfully different.