Historically, producing optically viable high-wrap eyewear was limited and required specialty labs (especially for progressive lenses). Conventional manufacturing methods were only capable of generating a sphere or torus on the back surface of the lens. Therefore, only a narrow range of prescriptions could be produced in high-wrap frames. Labs that dealt in high-wrap eyewear used formulas to calculate and compensate for the power error and oblique astigmatism caused by the angle formed between the visual axis and the lens optical axis in the primary gaze position. They also added equal and opposite prism to cancel the induced prism. Later came aspheric designs that improved peripheral optics when they fit correctly but still had room for improvement.

Digital free-form lenses have existed since 2000, yet the terms used to define concepts related to these highly technical lenses still confuse us. For example, opticians use the terms personalization and compensation interchangeably, but they are different yet often related concepts.

You can’t judge a book by its cover, but ECPs certainly judge a lab by its AR coatings! As eyecare professionals, we help the patient match their prescription to the best frames and lenses, and even marry visual lifestyles to specific lens designs. We are so fortunate to have many design options that cater to maximizing the visual efficacy for distance, intermediate, near, computer, driving, sports and more. The engineering behind these design options enables us to offer our patients the best of the best, personalized to their visual needs and wants. But how often do we talk about the varying details of the icing on the cake: anti-reflective coatings?

There is no end to the complexities associated with correcting vision. Laurie Pierce recently spoke with Dr. Peter Shaw, who invented the Shaw lens, to address several of those complexities. Aniseikonia is an ocular disorder characterized by dissimilar ocular images received in the brain, and anisophoria is due to the difference in prismatic effect associated with unequal refractive powers in eyeglasses. Pierce shares what she learned from her interview with Dr. Shaw.

IOT CEO and president Daniel Crespo describes the key IOT characteristics that help laboratories deliver excellent free-form lenses to every patient, every time. If you have never met him or heard him speak, you’re missing something special. The passion and commitment to excellence he brings to his life’s work are evident, as are the academic roots that helped him grow his lens software company. We asked Daniel what it takes to make exceptional lenses. While a written interview cannot capture all that is Daniel Crespo, it certainly explains why his company continues to flourish.

Your laboratory is your most crucial vendor relationship. From my perspective, I observe how a lab can be an eyecare professional’s best ally. Because no matter how beautiful a frame is, if you can’t trust your laboratory to make a good pair of lenses, you won’t have a happy customer.

In the last article, we covered lens materials and coating options, and their effect on lens optical performance. We briefly covered blue light attenuating lenses and coatings with a promise to share more in this June article. To that end, this article will cover the limits and benefits of the two types of blue light lenses in the market (indoor and outdoor). More and more consumers search blue light on the internet as they experience increased concern about the effects of digital screen time on eyes. They come to you for guidance and present you with the opportunity to help them understand the different types of blue attenuating lenses and coatings and their function.

It’s important that opticians know the best material for the job especially for groove and drill mount frames or high lens powers. We have a lot of material choices, and we must determine which combination of lens properties will produce the best lens performance for each job. For example, what are the most impact resistant and strongest lens materials? Strongest, in terms of tensile strength, means the ability of a lens to withstand a pulling force. Lenses with high tensile strength are good for drill mounts.