Masunaga’s Wink Glasses are designed by Japanese manufacturer Masunaga, to avoid dry-eye when the user concentrates on video gaming or the web. They have a sensor to detect how often the user blinks. The lens fogs when the user keeps his or her eye open for five seconds without blinking.

The problem is caused by staring unblinkingly at a screen, which dries out the surface of the eye. When we’re tired, we blink less frequently, although men typically blink every three seconds, while women blink every four seconds.

The glasses feature a clip-on device which monitors how frequently the wearer blinks. If the wearer goes for five seconds without blinking, the device causes one of the spectacle lenses to “mist up” by turning the ultra-thin liquid crystal sheet opaque.

This block’s the user’s sight in one eye, and encourages the blinking rate to return to normal, at which point the “mist” disappears, allowing the wearer to continue with their work.

The glasses can be powered via a rechargeable battery or the USB port on the user’s computer, and cost Y40,950 (£275).

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