Healthe

Healthe, the creator of Eyesafe, is an American technology company. Its products are designed to minimize the risks of visual impairment, insomnia, and other health problems associated with blue light produced by digital devices.

Health risks of blue light

Blue light, also known as high-energy visible (HEV) light, has been shown to impair human sleep cycles by suppressing the production of melatonin, a hormone that enables people to fall asleep. Common sources of blue light include screens found on laptops, tablets, and smartphones.

Frequent use of blue light-emitting devices has also been linked to cataracts and age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Computer vision syndrome, or digital eyestrain, has been identified by the American Optometric Association as a cause of headaches, blurred vision, and muscle pain. The Mayo Clinic states that "people who look at screens two or more hours every day are at greatest risk of this condition."

Protection against vision damage

To guard against the retina-damaging effects of blue light, a protective film called Eyesafe™ has been developed by Healthe. Likened to "sunscreen for eyes", the film creates a selective barrier over digital screens that prevents blue light from reaching the user's eyes. The company produces products with a variety of retina protection factors (RPF), which block different amounts of blue light — for example, a RPF of 60 blocks 60% of blue light.

Healthe products include screen covers, glass, and virtual reality headsets. Eyesafe films have been created for Apple and Samsung smartphones and tablets. Healthe is working with Mattel to provide Eyesafe protective films for 75,000 children's tablets in 2017.

Eyesafe and child safety

Healthe is a partner of Prevent Blindness, a patient advocate organization formed in 1908 to combat preventable blindness in children. In 2015, Prevent Blindness announced that "[t]hrough this new partnership, Healthe will donate a portion of the sales of its EyeSafe products... to Prevent Blindness in support of its children’s eye health programs and resources."

Benilde-St. Margaret's installed Eyesafe films on the laptops and smartphones of its journalism students in 2015.

History

In 2014, Healthe was founded in Minneapolis, Minnesota by Dr. Steven Moe and Justin Barrett. The company raised $1.2 million in initial funding in 2015.