NEW YORK--At last month’s International Vision Expo East, Shamir Insight executives unveiled a new line of enhanced semi-finished progressive, Shamir DLT (Direct Lens Technology). Positioned as an alternative to bridge the gap between Shamir’s standard semi-finished and Autograph lines, the DLT line offers patients better back-side optics than standard back-surfaced semi-finished lenses, at a reasonable value, according to the company.

Utilizing existing semi-finished Shamir designs (such as Creation, Piccolo, Office and Attitude), the DLT line incorporates an aspheric/atoric back-surface, which complements and enhances the effectiveness of the front design. The Shamir partnering lab takes Shamir’s existing semi-finished product and grinds the patient’s Rx and a special aspheric grid onto the back surface of the lens with a computer-driven, diamond-point, lathe instrument, resulting in minimized peripheral aberrations.

“The DLT line is ideal for patients who are having trouble adapting to progressive lenses, because of the highly reduced distortion,” said Raanan Naftalovich, CEO. “Our field research has told us that there is a demand for a middle-tier lens with better performing optics, but at a reasonable price. With the DLT line, we are giving the market a perfect solution; patients can look forward to improved optics and appreciate the affordable value.”

Shamir’s DLT line will consist of Shamir CreationDLT, Shamir PiccoloDLT, Shamir AttitudeDLT, Shamir OfficeDLT. All materials currently available in these semi-finished designs will also be available in the DLT line, which will be released in Summer 2008. ■