In 1994, I created Lenses & Technology as a supplement to 20/20 and Vision Monday. Our mission, then as now, is to provide doctors and dispensers with the most up-to-date, practical information about ophthalmic lenses, lens processing technology and dispensing.

Since shortening our name to L&T in 2003 and being incorporated into 20/20 as a regular section of the magazine, we have continued to pursue that editorial approach while refining and expanding it. In conjunction with 20/20’s 40th anniversary, I’ve selected 10 articles from the past decade that best represent L&T’s scope, sensibility and style.

—Andrew Karp


FROM EXAM TO EYEWEAR

TROUBLE SPOTS, AND HOW TO AVOID THEM
(February 2003)
By Palmer R. Cook, OD


20/20 typically celebrates eyewear designers for their contributions to fashion. But in this insightful article, longtime L&T contributing editor, Palmer R. Cook, OD, offers his own unique perspective on eyewear designers.

 


“As professionals involved in determining prescription needs and dispensing eyewear, we are all in effect, ‘eyewear designers,’” he asserts. “In a dispensary, the eyewear designer is the person who makes the final decision on the frame and lens parameters, and who authorizes the fabrication of the eyewear. Often, it is the same person who dispenses the eyewear.”

Dr. Cook then asks a fundamental question, “How do we design eyewear that will optimally address the patient’s examination findings as well as their vision, comfort and appearance expectations?” Drawing upon his special mix of technical analysis and practical advice, he then identifies several trouble spots that occur in the dispensing process, as well as signs from the patient to watch for.


LENSOMETRY BASICS

AN INTRODUCTION TO THE OPHTHALMIC PROFESSIONAL’S MOST ESSENTIAL INSTRUMENT
(April 2004)
By Ray Dennis

This article, a primer on how to use a lensmeter, is a great example of the kind of practical dispensing information that L&T has always delivered. It illustrates and identifies the components of the lensmeter and explains the function of each one. A concise discussion follows of how to use a lensmeter to neutralize uncut spherical lenses and sphero-cylinder lenses in minus cylinder form, how to convert power drum readings into an Rx and how to neutralize a finished pair of single-vision eyeglasses in minus cylinder form. A must-read for all opticians.



ACHIEVING PERFECT VISION FOR THE AVIATOR

(April 2005)
By Palmer R. Cook, OD

L&T periodically examines how different types of lenses can enhance the wearer’s performance in activities such as playing golf, driving a car or taking photographs. In this in-depth article, Dr. Cook considers the unique vision problems and eyewear requirements of aviators.

As he points out, “Correct frame choice, break resistance, absorptive properties, color recognition, glare and UV protection, anti-reflective properties, adaptation problems, contact lens use, and presbyopia and its correction are only a few of the issues that should be given special consideration when designing eyewear for aviators.”


MAKING A LENS FASHION STATEMENT
(September 2004)
By Andrew Karp

A guiding principal of L&T is that lenses are integral to the look and feel of a pair of eyeglasses. By carefully selecting the lens design, material and lens treatment, a savvy dispenser can dramatically enhance the look of the eyewear. This article discusses how options such as high-index materials, tints, edge treatments and mirrors can help your patient make a fashion statement.

Photo by Ned Matura



TODAY’S SPECIALS:
CREATING A LENS WARDROBE FOR ACTIVE PATIENTS
(August 2009)
By Mark Mattison-Shupnick

Mark Mattison-Shupnick, 20/20’s Director of Education, offers tried-and-true advice about how to sell a patient multiple pairs of eyewear. “Often, the conversation centers around the concept of lifestyle dispensing, which involves recommending eyewear that’s appropriate for specific activities,” he notes. Mattison-Shupnick then goes on to explain how to create a basic eyewear wardrobe according to function such as streetwear, dresswear, sports and safety. “The next step is to introduce the idea of a lens wardrobe,” he says.

Photo by Ned Matura



REMOTE POSSIBILITIES
(December 2006)
By Arlene Krupinski

Arlene Krupinski explains how an eyecare practice or optical retail store can improve their service with the speed and convenience of remote frame tracing. Krupinski, a veteran marketing executive who has worked extensively in the lens processing equipment field, discusses the benefits of using a remote frame tracer to transmit precise frame measurements to your lab along with the patient’s Rx and job data by using computer software that communicates via modem or an Internet portal. The lab can start processing the lenses using the trace, so there’s no waiting time for frames to arrive. Even smaller practices can stay competitive on service with the big chains by using remote tracing technology, Krupinski observes.



PAR EXCELLENCE
HIGH-PERFORMANCE SUNGLASSES ARE GAME FOR GOLF
(April 2011)
By Barry Santini

A must-read for doctors and dispensers who have golf-playing patients, “Par Excellence” offers a veritable treatise on golf sunglasses. Contributing editor Barry Santini delves deeply into the topic to deliver detailed advice about how a specially-designed and engineered sunglass can help golfers navigate the visual environment and visual challenges of golf while enhancing depth perception, contrast enhancement, blue light filtering, color and glare reduction. He also explores the properties that make up a great golf sunglass frame before wrapping up with a discussion of how to optimize the patient’s prescription and protect their eye health. This may be the best article ever written on this topic. A hole in one!



FOCUSING ON SHUTTERBUGS
SERVING THE SPECIAL EYECARE AND EYEWEAR NEEDS OF PHOTOGRAPHERS
(July 2012)
By Palmer R. Cook, OD

At the start of this perceptive article, Dr. Cook draws a parallel between eyecare providers and photographers. As he notes, “As ECPs, we deal with light and images all the time. Photographers also deal with light and images, and not surprisingly, whether they are novices, expert amateurs or professionals, their vision is the foundation of their art. While the images of most interest to us are retinal images, the images that most interest photographers end up on paper, computer screens and on television.”

Cook goes on to discuss the visual demands faced by photo-graphers, and how a knowledgeable dispenser can address
them. He covers viewfinders, focusing, polarization, fogging and specialty frames before offering some prescribing and eyewear design tips.

Photo by Ned Matura



DECODING THE ISSUES OF INDEX

A ROSETTA STONE FOR EYECARE
(March 2007)
By Palmer R. Cook, OD

“Today there is a growing array of lens materials available, and deciding which will best meet the needs of your patient can be a daunting and confusing task,” observes Dr. Cook at the beginning of one of the most unique and valuable L&T articles 20/20 has ever published. He then demystifies the lens material selection process by offering his own special “decoder” chart. Based on a Curve Variation Factor (CVF) adapted from glass lenses, Dr. Cook’s “Rosetta Stone” is designed for dispensers to figure out which is the best plastic lens material to use with certain prescriptions. It provides a benchmark that can be used with the dispenser’s experience and professional judgment to achieve the best eyewear for each patient.