L&T editor Andrew Karp previewed the ophthalmic lens
products, treatments and processing technologies being spotlighted
at this month’s International Vision Expo in New York. Here’s
his exclusive report on what’s new and what’s next. |
March 2007
RxPertise
Indo is debuting two direct
surfaced PALs, EyeMade and
LifeMade. EyeMade features
“optimal personalization,” which
considers the visual strategy of
each individual. According to
Indo, this consists of a coordinated
set of eye and head movements
that come into play when
performing a visual activity. The
EyeMade design is mapped out
using Indo’s exclusive Visual
Map technology. LifeMade are a
range of specialized progressive
lenses featuring optimized
designs that are ideal for today’s
most common uses and activities,
Indo reports.
Compact Ultra is Carl
Zeiss Vision’s next-generation
PAL for small frames with a
minimum fitting height of
13mm. According to Zeiss, the
key to Compact Ultra’s smallframe
performance is a 9mm
corridor that allows excellent
reading vision even at 13mm.
The patented design offers “a
soft, smooth geometry, excellent
binocularity, low skew distortion
and peak astigmatism that is
lower than many leading short
corridor progressive lenses.”
In the photochromic PAL category,
Younger Optics is introducing
Drivewear lenses in its
Image design. Drivewear lenses
combine Transitions Photochromic
Technology and NuPolar
polarization to create a lens
designed specifically to meet
the unique visual demands of
the driving task. Image boasts
one of the widest distortion free
distance zones in the industry, a
key advantage for driving.
KBco is expanding its EOS
polarized PAL line by offering
it in standard plastic in KBco
both gray-C and KBco brown-
C. The lens has a minimum fitting
height of 17mm.
Panoptx’ new Bora sunglass
features PureTec polarized photochromic
copper lenses. Made
of NXT material, the lenses
retain a 30 percent to 12 percent
Tv range. The inner lens surface
is flow-coated with a durable
anti-fog treatment for performance
in all weather conditions.
Panoptx also makes a marine
version of this lens that substitutes
a hydrophobic treatment
for the anti-fog coating.
Another new entry in the AR
field is iCoat’s Topit. ICoat
combines a newly formulated
version of its Fusion XTO AR in
combination with an ultra slick
super oleophobic topcoat, resulting
in the company’s easiest-toclean
AR product to date.
The coating is compatible with
all optical hardcoats and can be
applied to any lens style or material,
including glass.
See Worthy is introducing
the Sable RS101MT model for
competitive swimmers. Building
on its flat lens and aspherical
technologies, Sable has added a
flash mirrored finish to its antiscratch
coating. The mirrored
lenses reduce glare, thus creating
increased aquatic eyewear comfort;
they are available in blue,
green, fuschia and gold.
Santinelli International will
debut the ME-1000 Design+
Multifunction Edger. This
up-grade to the company’s ME-
1000 edger features exclusive
lens facet and partial grooving
functions, enabling eyecare
practitioners to expand, create
and customize rimless eyewear.
With the new ME-1000
Design+, highly fashionable
facet processing is applied to
the lens outline, providing a
“jewel-like” finish. A userfriendly
touch panel provides
quick and intuitive operation of
the facet function. Both front
and rear facets are available, and
the facet amount and width are
easily set by
the operator.
The Rae
Tracer is the
newest addition
to Gerber
Coburn’s
extensive line
of finishing
products. Fast,
accurate, and easy to use, the
Rae Tracer is designed to meet
the requirements of the most
challenging frame traces, from
highly curved wraps to children’s
frames. Its three-axis control
captures 12,800 points (A and B,
as well as frame curve and elevation)
for accurate three-dimensional
shapes. A two-line LCD
display gives immediate job and
trace feedback. The Rae Tracer
is completely compatible with
OMA compliant host software
systems, making it ideal for use
in remote locations.
Schneider will showcase its
compact direct surface and Rx
line consisting of the HSC smart
and the CP Swift. The combination
brings full surfacing capability
to virtually any small to midsized
production lab, according
to Schneider.
Super Systems’ Fast
Grind 2200 in-office surfacing
system is now capable of producing
computer lenses.
An advanced software
upgrade that calculates
the correct Rx based on
patients viewing distance
from the monitor, it will
enable all existing and
new Fast Grind customers
to produce computer
lenses from their
existing stock of progressive
lenses. The same lens blank,
from stock, can produce standard
progressive prescriptions
or computer lenses.
The new NSLP
from DAC
International
offers the latest
in computer controlled
soft lap polishing.
The X axis
controls the motion
of the dual heads,
following a preprogrammed
path
for optimum polishing
efficiency.
The NSLP utilizes one soft air
tool to polish all curves generated
by the DAC RxD Lathe. One
tool does it all. In addition, the
soft air tool features computer
controlled, adjustable motion,
pressure and time cycles to
assure consistent, but adjustable
removal rates.
