ALEXANDRIA, Va.—The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) earlier this month published a series of updates to the Z80.1 standard for prescription spectacle lenses. The Z80.1 standard serves as a guideline for both eyecare professionals with in-house processing and optical laboratories to follow prior to the delivery of finished eyewear to the patient. It applies to the processing of all prescription ophthalmic spectacle lenses in edged or assembled form

The revised Z80.1 standard includes updates to measurement of transmission power, use of compensated power for the as-worn position, lens durability, lens abrasion resistance and AR coating durability.

“The changes to the Z80.1 standard are significant to the optical community. For one, lens power measurement is now done using the method most familiar to labs and ECPs as the ISO international method is no longer used,” said The Vision Council’s Ken Wood, secretariat for ASC Z80 committee. “The other additions covering lens abrasion resistance and AR durability are the first such requirements in the U.S. market and establish a minimum level of performance that can protect both the patient and the ECP by barring poor performing products.”

The 2010 ANSI Z80.1 standard for prescription spectacle lenses can be purchased at www.webstore.ansi.org. This standard does not apply to products covered by American National Standard Requirements for Nonprescription Sunglasses and Fashion Eyewear, ANSI Z80.3-2008.

For more information on the changes to the Z80.1 standard, contact Amber Robinson, The Vision Council manager of member and technical programs, at (703) 740-1094 or at [email protected].