MAHWAH, N.J.--Seiko Optical Products of America is expanding its portfolio of progressive addition lenses (PALs) with the release this month of the Seiko Succeed Internal Free-Form, a digitally surfaced progressive that features a 100 percent back-surface design.

Although Seiko had previously introduced a back-surface PAL, the Proceed Internal Progressive, that lens is made in Japan and only available in the U.S. on a special-order basis from Seiko. The Succeed Internal Free-Form is being distributed through select U.S. wholesale laboratories equipped with digital or direct surfacing technology to process the lens.

“Seiko Succeed Internal Free-Form lenses utilize technology invented and patented by Seiko Epson, the worldwide leader in digitally-surfaced progressive lens design,” said Mike Rybacki, senior vice president of sales and marketing. “This technology places the patient’s entire Rx onto the back surface of the lens, leaving the front surface a perfect sphere. This alleviates the ‘swim and sway’ effect caused when the progressive power is on the front surface, and effectively eliminates non-adapts. It also significantly expands the fields of view, since the corrective surface is placed closer to the eye. The wearer sees more clearly than ever before, near, far and in-between.”

Seiko Internal Free-Form lenses are custom made to each patient’s exact prescription using the latest surfacing equipment, according to Rybacki. Aspheric compensation is calculated for each sphere, cylinder, axis and prism in each visual field, taking into account eye rotation and the change in vertex distance. This allows for total management of off-center astigmatism and power error, another cause of non-adapts.

“With Seiko Succeed Internal Free-Form lenses, the patient gets a multi-focal lens that feels like a single-vision lens,” Rybacki noted. “No more nose or chin pointing to bring an object into the proper portion of the lens. The patient moves their eyes and head in a natural way to see at all distances.”

Succeed Internal Free-Form lenses are available from authorized Seiko distributors in a variety of materials and coatings, including 1.67, poly and plastic, and Transitions lenses. A polarized version of the lens will be available in standard plastic and 1.67 beginning in May.

For more information, contact your authorized Seiko distributor, visit the Seiko Web site at www.seikoeyewear.com, or contact Seiko Optical Products at (800) 235-5367.