Unlike ordinary tinted spectacle lenses or adaptive photochromic eyewear, the Light Architecture™ of ALTIUS® is precision-engineered. With over 25 years of research and development, these innovative filters not only control the brightness through their total tint immersion, but also through their targeted biological and neurological impact. ALTIUS® Lenses are designed to manage the quality and quantity of light reaching the eye, reducing “visual noise” caused by chromatic aberration and blue light overstimulation, while enhancing clarity, contrast, and target tracking.
In other words: ALTIUS® performance-tinted single-use soft contact lenses don’t just block glare, it builds a better visual environment for your brain to perform.
Both ALTIUS® tints, Amber and Grey-Green, utilize FDA-cleared Light Architecture™, offering 100% UV absorption and blocking over 99% of blue light (<500 nm) through full 360° total tint immersion. This uniform and complete coverage eliminates peripheral light leakage, surface reflections, and distortion common with spectacles, ensuring uncompromised performance and protection across the entire visual field.
What distinguishes ALTIUS® Amber is its calibration for 50% visible light transmission (VLT), a balance that reduces excessive light without over-dimming the visual field.
This makes it ideal for dynamic, reactive sports like baseball, tennis, and football, where rapid target tracking and contrast recognition are essential. By reducing chromatic aberration by 53%, Amber minimizes “visual noise,” allowing for sharper image formation and faster visual processing.
ALTIUS® Grey-Green’s 38% visible light transmission (VLT) makes it ideally suited for outdoor environments with intense glare, such as on water, turf, or pavement. Athletes and active individuals benefit from enhanced visual comfort, improved contrast, and reduced visual fatigue in bright, high-glare settings.
Traditional spectacle tints such as FL-41 only partially block blue light and allow light to reach the eyes from around or behind the spectacle frame. On the other hand, ALTIUS® Grey-Green and Amber soft contact lenses block over 99% of blue light (<500 nm) and allow no light to enter the eye other than through the lenses.
Clinical surveys show that when worn during migraine attacks, ALTIUS® Grey-Green users report:
Reports from users who suffer from photophobia due to traumatic brain injury, concussion, and other conditions suggest similar favorable results when using either tint.
Both ALTIUS® Grey-Green and Amber spectral transmission profiles are meticulously tuned to the human visual system.
As shown in the above Figure ALTIUS® filters nearly all violet and blue wavelengths, including virtually all energy related to iPRGC Sensitivity, while selectively transmitting narrow-band green light (~550 nm). Burstein’s research identifies this wavelength as uniquely beneficial, it reduces cortical hyperexcitability and evokes calming emotional responses during migraine episodes.
By modulating these neural responses, ALTIUS® Light Architecture™ minimizes pain activation while supporting balanced visual and emotional perception, truly architecting light for neurological wellness.
Traditional flat or spectacle lenses leave the eye exposed to stray peripheral light, a limitation overcome through the evolutionary progression of curved, high-wrap designs pioneered by industry leaders from Nike MaxSight™ to today’s ALTIUS® Light Architecture™ system.
With complete corneal coverage, ALTIUS® achieves the ultimate in light management, merging optical precision with clinical protection, from performance vision to migraine management, post-concussion care and TBI recovery.
With availability in both corrective and non-corrective (Plano) powers, ALTIUS® is truly for EVERYONE.
ALTIUS® Light Architecture™ redefines how eye care practitioners and patients address photosensitivity.
Related information:
As demonstrated in Burstein et al.’s seminal Neurobiology of Photophobia (J Neuro-Ophthalmol, 2019), photophobia is not merely discomfort, it’s a neurological condition involving overstimulation of intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs). These specialized retinal cells connect visual input to pain-processing centers in the thalamus, amplifying headache pain and emotional distress.
Use of ALTIUS® Single-Use Performance-Tinted Contact Lenses During Water Activities(2024)
Use of Performance-Tinted Contact Lenses in Patients with Photosensitivity (2024)
Every day, millions silently endure a condition that’s often invisible to others but profoundly affects daily life. Photophobia, or light sensitivity, is a neurologically driven symptom that can cause debilitating discomfort. It frequently accompanies conditions such as migraine, traumatic brain injury (TBI), and post-concussion syndrome. For those affected, even everyday lighting can trigger significant pain and discomfort. Patents-pending ALTIUS® Performance-Tinted Single-Use Contact Lenses provide a non-medicinal solution to alleviate light sensitivity by filtering the harshest part of visible light and providing comfortable vision.
More than one billion people worldwide live with migraine, It is one of the leading causes of disability across the globe. Yet despite its scale, migraine and its debilitating symptoms, including light sensitivity (photophobia), often go unrecognized and misunderstood. This June, in honor of Migraine and Headache Awareness Month (MHAM), ALTIUS® proudly joins the call to “Make the Invisible Visible.” It’s time to elevate the voices of those affected by photophobia and bring their daily challenges and strength into the light.
Light sensitivity isn’t just a visual issue, it’s a quality-of-life issue. For those affected, everyday environments can become overwhelming. It can:
For many, the solution becomes avoidance, retreating from daily life because their eyes, and their nervous system, simply can’t tolerate the light.
For individuals affected by photophobia, ALTIUS® Grey-Green Performance-Tinted Contact Lenses provide a scientifically informed, non-medicinal solution for managing photophobia. In an internal patient survey, users reported:
Engineered with our proprietary Light Architecture™ technology, ALTIUS® lenses target the specific wavelengths that overstimulate intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs)—key players in brightness regulation and light-triggered pain. By blocking 100% of UV and over 99% of blue light, ALTIUS® lenses reduce visual overstimulation while providing enhanced contrast for crisp, comfortable visual performance.
This June, during Migraine and Headache Awareness Month, we invite you to help bring light sensitivity and the millions affected by it into the light. ALTIUS® isn’t just a contact lens—it’s a tool for reclaiming comfort, restoring clarity, and elevating quality of life.
Whether you’re navigating migraines, recovering from a concussion, or living with chronic photophobia, know this: non-pharmaceutical relief from light sensitivity is possible.
Together, we’re a community. Together, we make it visible.
“I have noticed [ALTIUS] helps with light sensitivity so I can do things sometimes for longer and things I couldn’t enjoy doing on bright days. [ALTIUS] helps to improve my quality of life and to be able to do these things without having to avoid or close my eyes”
— Amy
"I don't wear them daily now, only as needed mostly for headaches or migraine attacks. I feel a sense of comfort if I should get a headache or migraine that I have an effective, non-medication means to bringing relief, usually weekly (1-3 days)"
— Stephanie, Clinical Pharmacist
“I felt a migraine coming on, put in the contacts and was able to enjoy a family event. It felt like it stopped the migraine in its tracks.”
— Sarah, Student
