"The principle behind the illusion, as well as its use in a pair of "spectacles", was first patented (in the United States) in 1906 by George W. Macdonald ().A tubular configuration employing the same principle as well as the use of a feather for the diffraction grating was first patented in 1909 by Fred J. Wiedenbeck ()

X-Ray Specs were improved () by Harold von Braunhut, also the inventor of Amazing Sea-Monkeys.