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Crizal "Easy" "no-glare" lens coatings will be introduced soon to replace original Crizal lenses, which will be discontinued in first quarter, 2011. The Super-hydrophobic top coat provides improved oil, water and smudge resistance. Patented Pad Control System layer ensures excellent adhesion of the leap pad for precise and consistent edging and drilling. 110 degree contact angle that provides improved cleanability over original Crizal lenses and competitive lenses. Over 83 percent of the top coat’s performance remains intact, even after 20,000 cleanings. Double-sided integrated hard coat ensures scratch resistance and durability. Visit www.crizal.com for more information.

Transitions Optical Teams With National Council of Negro Women to Promote Eye Health Education Transitions Optical announced that it is working with the National Council of Negro Women (NCNW) to raise awareness about the importance of proper vision care and vision wear among the African-American community. The photochromic lens maker said NCNW, a national, non-profit organization whose mission is to lead, develop and advocate for women of African descent, is “a natural partner” for its “Healthy Sight for Life: Focus on African-American Eyes” campaign, which launched at the NCNW Black Family Reunion Celebration on September 11 in Washington, D.C. This event, which celebrated its 25th anniversary this year, attracted an estimated 250,000 consumers. (Article reprinted with permission from Jobson Publishing at 20/20 Lenses & Technology. By Andrew Karp.) “As part of our ongoing multicultural outreach efforts, we are pleased to be able to work with NCNW to provide valuable eye health education to the African-American community,” said Manuel Solis, multicultural marketing manager, Transitions Optical. “Participating in the Black Family Reunion was a great start to our campaign, and we look forward to generating national awareness about vision care among this community with the support of NCNW.” During the Black Family Reunion event, Transitions Optical provided free vision screenings at its booth in the Health & Wellness Pavilion in partnership with optical retailer, America’s Best. Transitions also provided free eye health education throughout the event with a presentation at the pavilion by Vincent Young, M.D., chairman of the Division of Ophthalmology at Albert Einstein Medical Center in Philadelphia, and by distributing materials— including its new “What to Expect: African-American Eyes” brochure—there and at the Transitions-sponsored mobile clinic named Eyenstein, located on the National Mall. Eyenstein, a full-service mobile eyecare clinic, is the newest addition to the VSP Vision Care Mobile Eyes program and is a partnership between VSP and Transitions Optical. The Eyenstein clinic also visited the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Washington D.C., providing free comprehensive eye exams and Transitions lenses to community members. More than 225 adults and children benefited from the screenings over the weekend, and nearly 75 appointments for comprehensive eye exams were scheduled. Seiko Optical Announces Winners of Free-Form Stimulus Promotion Seiko Optical Products announced the winners of its 2010 Free-Form Stimulus Promotion. The promotion, held in partnership with Seiko’s authorized independent laboratory network, ended in June. The grand prize, a $5,000 Hawaiian vacation, was awarded to Kevork Tinkjian, from Custom Eyes of Cambridge, Mass. (US Optical). The second prize, a flat-screen television, was presented to Cindy Biancamano of Optics Unlimited in Groton, Conn. (Luzerne Optical). The third prize, a $500 gift card, went to Cody Freeman of Lovejoy Opticians in Portland, Ore. (Laramy-K). Scratch-off cards offered additional cash prizes and the chance to win Seiko watches. Harbor Optical Offers Shamir Autograph II Lenses Harbor Optical of Traverse City, Mich. has become the latest Shamir partner lab to offer Shamir Autograph II Freeform lenses. “Our Lab Launch team worked closely with Harbor Optical’s team to prepare for the Autograph II launch by providing the educational background, support and collateral needed for a prosperous launch. Shamir and Harbor Optical have had a very successful relationship for over a decade, and with the release of Shamir Autograph II it’s certain that Harbor Optical will experience continued growth and success,” said Lance Bergeron, vice president of sales for Shamir Insight. Shamir’s Autograph II line is digitally back-surfaced, allowing both the Rx and the design to be ground on the back-side of the lens. This technology enables each Shamir Autograph II lens to be produced with an accuracy of up to 1/100 diopters. With five different designs, each patient is ensured Autograph II lenses personalized to their specific lifestyle needs, and by grinding the design on the back-surface, patients receive up to 20 percent wider fields of vision, according to Shamir. The lenses are available with Shamir’s As-Worn Technology and FreeFrame Technology, and are fine-tuned for each patient by taking additional measurements and frame selection into account in the design.

You are a dedicated optical pro but you want to make more money and you want to do it with an additional location. I’m dedicated to that position. It’s a natural step. You are doing well with one location. You work hard to remember the needs of everyone who walks through your store’s door. The level of service you and your staff provide is second to none especially compared to that mega-chain down the road.

(Article reprinted with permission from Jobson Publishing at 20/20 Lenses & Technology. By Brad Childs)   Call your vendors. Give them an order for a second location. Set up the phones. Order new utilities. Buy a new edger. Of course much of it is fun, but there is so much more to it than just the fun stuff. Let’s continue. Display Cases. Mirrors. Tables. Tools. Doctor’s equipment. Carpet. Tile. Special lighting. The list goes on. And it’s never REALLY done. Contact lens samples. Sample solutions. Solutions. Solutions! Signage. New advertising.

What are we forgetting? Let’s get to the meat. We haven’t even mentioned the most important piece to this puzzle. If you guess this correctly then you should open another store. Go ahead. Guess.

Did you guess staff and service? RIGHT. How much are you willing to allow the service to drop because you can not be in each location at the same time? And if you think your newly hired seasoned optician is as good as you are, you are wrong. Your customers want to see you and they want to speak to you and have you help them as they patronize your business. When they purchase a digitally surfaced Trivex Transition AR lens they want to tell YOU how good they feel.

My brother Norm and I live to open locations. We breathe service and enjoy the pressures of success. Every time we open a store we put our best people in places where they can be successful and we hope they internalize our business philosophies, transferring that experience to clients. Yet it is always different when one of us is on location. The energy is powerful. The staff is motivated. And the client feels great.

This is what cannot get lost in translation. You are the single most important driving force in any effort to expand. Go for it. Grow for it.

The Think About Your Eyes Coalition has launched its first television and radio advertisements to kick off a two-year public awareness campaign designed to educate Americans about the importance of annual eye exams and the benefits they can provide to overall health. The television and radio ads are currently running in nine cities across the U.S., including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Denver, Atlanta, Houston, Sacramento, Cincinnati and Portland, Ore. 

The ads focus on a variety of eye health issues, educating consumers on topics ranging from eye disease to children’s vision and school performance to visual fatigue. They also urge consumers to visit www.thinkaboutyoureyes.com to learn more about healthy vision and to schedule an eye exam by locating a local eyecare professional through a tool available on the web site.

Consumers can also connect with Think About Your Eyes through its new social media channels on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Flickr, all of which are accessible from the campaign’s web site. Social media activities will expand in the coming months as the Coalition prepares to execute major public awareness events, the first of which took place in New York City last month.
Essilor, Luxottica and VSP Global make up the Think About Your Eyes Coalition and are seeking partners to join in its consumer education initiative. (Article reprinted with permission from Jobson Publishing at 20/20 Lenses & Technology.) 

Hoya Lab Division Awards Grant to NSUOCO
Hoya Laboratories of America awarded a $10,000 unrestricted grant to Northeastern State University College of Optometry (NSUOCO). The grant, which is the first of five grants to be awarded by Hoya, is made possible through the Hoya Laboratories of America grant program.

NSUOCO dean Douglas Penisten, center, accepted the grant from, left to right, Iggy Fernandez, regional vice president, Hoya Dallas, Mike Elton, director of professional services, NSUOCO dean Douglas Penisten, OD, Doug Rogers, Hoya sales representative and Brent Foxworth, central regional sales manager.

Pro Fit Optix Launches Amex Gift Card Promo
In conjunction with the opening of its new Dallas distribution center and the launch of the Rodenstock PureLife and PureLife XS progressive lenses, Pro Fit Optix is offering an American Express Gift Card Rewards promotion. For every 10 pair of plastic 1.50 and Polycarbonate Progressiv PureLife lenses purchased, you will receive a $100 American Express Gift Card. For every five pairs of 1.54 ColorMatic, 1.60 and 1.67 clear Progressiv PureLife lenses purchased, Pro Fit customers will receive a $75 American Express Gift Card.

Orders must be received by October 31; entries must be received by December 2. Additional details are available through Pro Fit Optix or authorized wholesale laboratories.

Essilor Names 2010 Varilux Student Grant Winner
Essilor of America announced that Kevin Mathes from New England College of Optometry in Boston is the winner of the annual Varilux Student Grant Awards, a nationwide competition among optometry students. Seventeen students were awarded $1,000 each in grant money from Varilux, and from those winners, one national award was given.

Mathes wrote the winning case study using a creative fit for Essilor Anti-Fatigue single vision lenses, an aspheric lens designed for patients between the ages of 18 and 45 who suffer from symptoms of visual fatigue. Mathes and his staff advisor, Jim Pelham, will each receive an all-expenses paid trip for two to the joint meeting of the American Optometric Association and the American Optometric Student Association in Orlando, June 16 to 20. Mathes will be a guest at the 18th Annual Varilux Optometry Student Bowl, an annual event sponsored by Essilor, and will receive $1,000 in prize money.

Mathes’ report is available to view at www.essilorusa.com under the “Services” section. 

Photograph by Dan Kaiser/Blackbox Studio; FRAME: Jil Sander 2624 from Marchon (Article reprinted with permission from Jobson Publishing at 20/20 Lenses & Technology. By Timothy Coronis, ABOC-NLCE) In today’s multitasking, info-overloaded world, it’s increasingly common for many of us to work online for hours, send text messages to friends and then relax by watching YouTube videos. It’s no surprise then that our eyes are often stressed to the point of exhaustion. Focusing on small digital screens, one to three feet away for an extended period of time can cause blurred vision, headaches and discomfort as the eye’s internal lens accommodates to maintain plus power for focusing at these distances. Fortunately, several manufacturers—Signet Armorlite, Essilor and Hoya Vision Care—have recently developed specialized lenses to help us perform these types of near and intermediate visual tasks. The new products, known as anti-fatigue or AF lenses, offer patients relief from digitally induced eyestrain and other visual stress. AF lenses are versatile and can be worn for many near and intermediate visual tasks, not just computer use. Doctors and dispensers may find it helpful to think of them as occupational and recreational lenses that are suitable for any activity that involves accommodating for near. AF lenses are available in several designs including single vision, “office” progressives and full-range progressives, and can be prescribed for presbyopes, pre-presbyopes and children. When recommending an AF lens, eyecare practitioners need to understand the features and benefits of each lens design as well as how it ought to be used. A pre-presbyope, for example, would probably require a single vision lens such as Essilor’s anti-fatigue lens. It features a “boost” at the bottom of the lens in the form of a +.60 diopter increase in plus power, which allows the eye muscles to relax. As a result, accommodation is more easily maintained during the course of the day and visual fatigue is reduced. Another option for pre-presbyopes is Hoya Vision Care’s Nulux Active 8 lens, which is currently available in Canada but not yet offered in the U.S. The lens utilizes a vertical-aspheric lens design with an increase of plus power in the lower portion. Designed for single vision wearers under age 45, Nulux Active 8 corrects vision for a variety of activities and is intended for all day wear. The radial aspheric feature from the center of the lens reduces barrel and pincushion distortion. The vertical aspheric feature of the bottom portion of the lens provides more relaxed binocular vision. The patient’s mono PDs and OC heights must be supplied to the lab, along with their Rx. Among the progressive lens choices is the Kodak Anti-Fatigue lens from Signet Armorlite, which is available in the company’s Unique, Precise, Precise Short and Concise designs. The lens features base-in prism in the reading area that is calculated digitally, easing eyestrain from accommodating. Corridor lengths are optimized to the presbyope’s particular prescription and frame “B” measurement, delivering good optics to the wearer and making the correction more easily tolerated, more successfully worn. Essilor also offers a computer lens that features a big, usable intermediate zone, a smaller near zone and a minimized distance zone that is designed to relieve eyestrain in presbyopes working at computer and near distances for a few hours or more. It is designed to work in frames with a “B” measure of 30mm or more. Putting Anti-fatigue Lenses to Work L&T asked several optometrists who have successfully prescribed anti-fatigue designs to share their insights about the lenses and the types of patients who have benefitted from them. John Gunning, OD, of Chillicothe, Ohio, who prescribes Essilor Anti-Fatigue lenses, says he has recommended the lenses to first-time moderate hyperopes, pre-presbyopes and frequent computer users. “College students love the lenses,” he notes. “I have used this design for true, long-term computer operators,” continues Dr. Gunning. “For these patients I prescribe the intermediate prescription, which focuses these eyes at the computer screen. The ‘boost’ allows them to also see their reading materials clearly. This overall design gives the computer operator great vision at the computer screen with a minor near point “range of vision.” Dr. Gunning believes the Essilor AF lens works well for emerging presbyopes. “This is an ideal lens to address the symptoms of pre-presbyopia for two reasons: it relieves the symptoms and is better accepted by the patient. I explain to the patient this lens can keep them out of the bifocal for a year or two. It is a bridge between single vision lenses and multifocals.” The Essilor Anti-Fatigue lens can be prescribed as an intermediate lens with a boost for near, notes Larry Wan, OD of Family Eyecare Center in Campbell, Calif. “You’ll be most successful thinking of it as more than a computer lens,” says Dr. Wan. “In fact, it improves vision for all sorts of activities, from playing cards to more obvious examples such as computer use.” Dennis Idarola, OD of the Center for Vision Care, Monroe, Conn., recommends AF lenses for children. “Any patient, especially a child, that demonstrates a near exophoria of greater than six prism dipoters is encouraged to get lenses with AF technology,” says Dr. Idarola, who prescribes Kodak anti-fatigue progressives. “As a fan of small amounts of prism—usually ½ BI—for children and computer users, I am not surprised at all by the success my patients are having with AF technology. Children excel in school since using the AF and I have had comments from the doctors doing vision therapy that they, too have noticed children performing better with the addition of the AF technology. “I had an 11-year-old girl with convergence insufficiency who hated wearing her bifocal glasses,” says Dr. Idarola. “It wasn’t the cosmetics as much as it was that she did not perceive any improvement in her vision. Today, upon follow up after being fitted with AF, she is more than happy to wear her glasses; she is excited. More importantly, in the last month, her mother is thrilled with her improved reading skills and school grades. Dr. Idarola adds that he also recommends AF lenses to patients who suffer fatigue at the end of the day, as well as avid readers and computer users. Sheldon Salaba, OD of Advanced Vision in Ontario, Canada prescribes Hoya Nulux Active 8 for the majority of his patients who are under age 43. “They are great for emerging presbyopes, technology users, basic esophoria patients, convergence excess patients, latent hyperopes, college myopes and over-minused patients,” he says. Dr. Salaba cites the case of a 12-year-old patient who is an accommodative esotrope. “She presented to my office wearing a lined bifocal,” he explains. “I was able to increase her hyperopic prescription in the distance, add prism correction to address the residual esophoria at distance and then use the +1.00 reading power in the anti-fatigue lens to eliminate the need for a lined bifocal to address her accommodative esotropia. She was ecstatic and loves her glasses. Her problems were addressed and we were able to eliminate her need for a lined bifocal in her glasses.” Dr. Salaba reports that “in the age group between 15 to 30 years, these patients will have very small prescriptions, or even be emmetropic but they will experience accommodative spasms from going back and forth between two viewing distances. Anti-fatigue lenses are fantastic because they break the accommodative spasm and allow the patient to go back and forth between distance and near tasks without having to take the glasses off.” According to Dr. Salaba, he has prescribed AF lenses to about 400 patients and has only had 10 to 15 patients reject them. “I am now seeing patients who have had these lenses for over a year and they are very satisfied with the results. They love their glasses.”

Silhouette has taken the iPhone to heart­—and eye—for optical browsers looking to try on eyewear and sunwear. With the introduction of its Virtual Mirror for the iPhone, Silhouette charges to the head of the Internet-scape. Their application allows consumers to try on a selection of Silhouette styles, lens shapes and color options creating fully customizable frames best suited for the customer’s face with just a few iPhone clicks and taps.


In 2009, Silhouette offered consumers the revolutionary Virtual Mirror consulting tool, then exclusively available on www.silhouette.com. Designed in accordance with the Silhouette philosophy that “the best frame for eyewear is always the face of the wearer,” the Virtual Mirror allows consumers to select quality, handcrafted eyewear that suits their individuality and personal preferences, while allowing their natural beauty to remain the focus.

“We’re excited to meet the needs of busy consumers while providing them with individual opportunities to create customized pieces for their eyewear wardrobe,” says Diana Cauwels, Silhouette U.S. brand manager. “Once wearers have had an initial opportunity to select their eyewear using the Silhouette Virtual Mirror for the iPhone, they can visit their specialty optical retailer for a professional fitting for the tangible frames.”

The Silhouette Virtual Mirror app can easily be downloaded for free at www.silhouette.com/iphoneapp or at the App Store. Once installed, users upload a photo and step-by-step instructions help guide them through the application. The power user function makes it possible to test several eyewear models quickly. Simply shake the iPhone and the next model will appear. Silhouette Virtual Mirror users can easily send the final image of their customized eyewear to themselves, their optical professional and others. The potential for use by the optical pro AND the end patient is virtually groundbreaking here. ­  

For the past two consecutive Vision Expo shows, the Vision Choice award for Best New Product has been bestowed upon optical newcomer Tom Kramer, founder and designer of Teka Eyewear. This honor celebrates highly innovative eyewear in terms of both design and technology. Kramer, whose company has only been around since 2007, has come a long way in just three years.

Teka Eyewear (pronounced “tee-KAY” to represent the designer’s initials) is a collection built on passion. Designed entirely by Kramer, many Teka frames employ unique and exotic materials, which he loves to work with. “The materials for my frames are sourced from all over the world,” he says. “I have a frame that is made with bubinga wood, a rare wood from Africa. And there’s another made from zebrawood, a wood I have never seen used in eyewear before. We find small boutique factories that specialize in dealing with these materials. These woods are not stained; there is no wood veneer. If you were to break it open it would be the same wood inside as it is outside.”

Tapping into natural resources to create eyewear does not stem from an urge to embrace any current trend; the usage of woods, buffalo horn and leather derives from Kramer’s love for nature. “You look around and see trees, plants, fish and birds and they’re just beautiful,” he says. “I’d love to use a fish skin on a pair of glasses, but unfortunately you can’t do that. You have things appearing in nature that are perfect the way they are.”

Dismissing current trends and embracing his own style isn’t just a matter of aesthetic for Kramer, but also a well-devised business model. The timelessness of the collection, which is geared toward wearers aged 25 and up, ensures an enduring shelf life (pun intended). “The vision of the company is to provide timeless eyewear—not something that is here today, gone tomorrow fashion,” says Kramer. “Salespeople at optical shops get a feel for the frames’ shapes and contours. This differs from another model of selling frames, which involves coming out with a lot of new styles and being up-to-date with fashion. That may work at first, but those frames will never sell twice. I’ve seen the sales increase with Teka frames over time because salespeople have more confidence in the product after they’ve sold it a few times.”

Kramer’s aspiration to create timeless frames is executed through clean lines and a lot of rimless styles. “Rimless never went away,” he says. “If you look back at any of the classic frames throughout history, they are rimless and anyone can wear them. Also, since I use a lot of exotic materials on the temple pieces, I design the temple pieces first and then work my way in. I’ve always liked a clean look but you need to add a tinge of something to make it really stand out.”

In this economy, beauty alone is a hard selling point. Yet, despite the often expensive price tags on the rare materials, Kramer has a unique approach to business that makes the collection rather accessible. “The way I look at my business is not the way most people approach their business,” he explains. “I don’t look at the exact cost and say I need to make an exact amount of money on a particular frame. I balance cost over the entire collection. There are some frames that I don’t make much of a profit on but I sell at a lower price just so I can get it out there. For example, even though we offer some pieces in the collection with much more buffalo horn on them than others, we keep the price point the same so that we can keep on selling the frames well.”

For someone who seems to have both the design and marketing sides of his company worked out so thoroughly, it may come as a surprise that Kramer didn’t have any experience in the optical industry until just a few years ago. It was a combined interest in fashion and fascination for the technical aspects of construction that drew him to eyewear design. “I’ve always loved taking the ordinary and turning into something else,” he says. “I enjoy fashion along with the hands-on aspects, like finding out exactly how the screws are made and learning about grooves. I love the manufacturing part of the trade, and you’ll see a lot of that in the Teka metal and plastic frames—I’ll take a functional element like a hinge and turn it into an architectural piece.”

Despite Kramer’s affinity for the design process, he makes sure to always take the wearer into consideration. “When I design a frame, it’s not just a design piece,” Kramer explains. “First I look at someone’s face and think of what I can do to enhance that face. I never try to hide anyone’s features. I begin the design process by assessing what type of shape or what kind of material will make the most of someone’s face.”

Kramer puts a lot of emphasis on understanding the Teka customer. Taking the feedback from his clientele, the line has evolved along the way. “I always listen to feedback and learn,” says Kramer. “I always stick to the image of the brand and the process won’t change, but customer input has influenced some of the styles. The combination of colors on one of the wood frames is based on a suggestion I got from a customer.”

There is more for Teka Eyewear on the horizon. The success of the past three years has encouraged Kramer to branch out and look into a sunwear line and possibly even acquire a license for a children’s collection. “I’m always thinking about what’s going to be next,” he says. —Article reprinted from 20/20 Magazine with permission from Jobson Pubishing 

VSP MOBILE EYECARE CLINIC VISITS SANTINELLI INTERNATIONAL
The new VSP mobile eyecare clinic visited the offices of Santinelli International on Friday, September 17. The mobile clinic, nicknamed “Eyenstein,” contains a full-service, comprehensive eye exam room, a full eyewear dispensary and a state-of-the-art lens finishing lab donated by Santinelli International. It produces and distributes customized eyeglasses to serve communities in need. (Article reprinted with permission from Jobson Publishing at 20/20 Lenses & Technology. By Andrew Karp.)

Mobile clinic staffers, Niki Myers and Gilbert Melgoza, conducted the tours for each of the small groups that climbed aboard for a full demonstration of the entire process from eye exam to finished glasses.

Franco Aluigi, Santinelli International’s product manager, was instrumental in the design phase of the mobile clinic’s compact lab. Mr. Aluigi noted, “It was wonderful to be a part of the development of this incredible unit which benefits so many who are in need. To see ‘Eyenstein’ in person was a great experience—it looks better than I could have imagined!”

The mobile eyecare clinic partnership and initiative will provide charitable eyecare services and educational outreach to underserved children and adults throughout the country for at least the next five years.


TRANSITIONS PROMOTES EYE HEALTH WORLDWIDE AT INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE
Transitions Optical supported the promotion of eye health worldwide through a major sponsorship of the sixth annual World Conference on
Optometric Education and second annual World Congress on Refractive Error conference, held consecutively, September 20 to 24 in Durban, South Africa. The two conferences facilitated sharing of best practices from around the world to help address the global burden of uncorrected refractive error and to support the progression of optometric education.

In addition to financial support provided through the sponsorship, Transitions played an active role by supplying speakers to bring specific eye health issues into focus for attendees, including an estimated 600 optometric and development professionals, and 250 optometric educators from around the globe.

Transitions provided two speakers for the Research and Innovation portion of the program. Peter Kehoe, OD, professional relations advisor to Transitions, spoke on the importance of UV protection, while Paul Berman, OD, provided a lecture on sports vision. Transitions also offered information on its European school outreach program at its booth.

“As a global company, Transitions Optical is not only interested in furthering eye care and supporting current and future educators worldwide, we have access to success stories from around the globe related to several eye health issues, such as promoting the need for UV protection, especially for children,” said Dr. Kehoe. “These conferences provided an excellent opportunity to share our knowledge and be part of a strong worldwide commitment to furthering eye health.”

VISION-EASE JOINS INFORMATIONWEEK 500 LIST
Vision-Ease Lens was named for the first-time to this year’s InformationWeek 500 list, an annual ranking of the nation’s most innovative users of business technology. Vision-Ease is ranked at 168 out of 500.

“Being named to the 2010 InformationWeek 500 list is great external validation that our efforts over the last year to improve processes for Vision-Ease were on track,” said Flo Kinzel, global IT leader for Vision-Ease. “The project was a significant undertaking and our department is looking forward to continually evolving the intranet site to meet our changing company-wide needs.”

As part of a larger, company-wide technology upgrade, VEL’s IT department developed an architecture for a Microsoft SharePoint-based intranet system. Dubbed “Lenny,” the new system houses frequently-accessed forms, employee handbook and human resources information, and operational tools, as well as project development and roll-out management tools. “Operationally, the new Lenny site has made day-to-day operations, such as employee communications and document workflow, much more efficient,” said Cindy Mark, VP supply chain.

The InformationWeek 500 ranking spotlights the power of innovation in information technology.     

Essilor Launches Definity Fairway Transitions SOLFX DALLAS—Essilor of America and Transitions Optical have launched Definity Fairway Transitions SOLFX, a new progressive sunwear product designed to meet the visual demands of golfers needing multifocal prescriptions. The new product combines the patented Dual Add 2.0 technology and Ground View Advantage of Definity lenses with the photochromic technology of Transitions SOLFX sunlenses to provide golfers with the right color and darkness for optimal performance in varying light conditions, according to the two manufacturers. “Golf is a visually demanding sport. From tracking the ball to reading the greens, golf requires the use of near, peripheral, intermediate and distance vision—and changing light conditions can often create an added visual burden for golfers,” said Grady Lenski, director, Transitions sunwear. “Whether in the sun or in the shade, this new product will accommodate these needs, helping golfers play better and enjoy their game more.” Definity progressive lenses use Dual Add 2.0 technology to create a fourth zone of vision, called the Ground View Advantage, giving wearers clearer vision when looking down. In a golf study cited by Essilor, players preferred Definity lenses 7:1 during course play – reporting less peripheral distortion, a 30 percent wider intermediate zone and smoother transitions between distance, intermediate and near vision. Like all Transitions SOLFX sunwear products, the new golf product helps to enhance visual performance by automatically adjusting its degree of darkness to changing outdoor light conditions. The lenses will change from amber to a darker brown outdoors, improving contrast and depth perception to help golfers see the contour of the greens, and better see the ball. The lenses also help to protect against the harmful effects of UV rays and come systematically with Crizal Sun Mirrors which reduce back side reflections, and improve scratch resistance and cleanability. “Players have already shown a strong preference for Definity lenses on the course,” said Carl Bracy, vice president of marketing, Essilor of America. “We’re confident that wearers will appreciate the added benefits and versatility provided with the Transitions SOLFX sunwear technology and the additional glare protection provided by Crizal Sun Mirrors.” ? --Article from 2020 Magazine, reprinted with permission of Jobson Publishing.

Taking the Plunge With Digital Lenses

06-2009


No other segment of the eyecare industry is experiencing the type of breath-taking change that is now winding through the lens and surfacing laboratory business. The broad arrival of free-form, digital surfacing equipment has, seemingly overnight, resulted in some labs beginning to completely abandon the conventional fabrication tools, spindles, laps and calculations that have been employed essentially unchanged for more than 100 years.

Why is this class of lens so quickly invading the turf occupied by traditional lenses?
The numbers reveal all:
1. Surface precision improves a factor of six times, from 0.06D to 0.01D.
2. Fabrication times are cut by 50 percent.
3. Lens size and cut-out issues are almost non-existent since any design can be “de-centered” into the Single-vision lens blank of your choosing.
4. There are almost no refractive index or substrate restrictions. You can make the lens design of your choice on the material of your choice. For instance: No more searching for what lenses are available in Trivex Transitions. Inventory requirements are slashed. Processing free-form/digital progressive lenses requires that you only carry single-vision, semi-finished lens blanks. No more various progressive lens designs times base curves times near adds. And in the most sophisticated designs, corridor length and inset can be specified by the dispenser.
5. Increased variety and ever more sophisticated lens designs are and will be available as quickly and easily as the specific design algorithm can be downloaded to the lab’s computer.

With the latest and most sophisticated lens designs available for either single-vision, progressive or wrap (or combined), coupled with a “dealer’s choice” from the cornucopia of material index, curve and photochromic options, what could stop ECPs from immediately embracing this new technology?

Let’s take a look:
1. Increased cost—In the beginning, every new technology has an increased cost as compared to the traditional technology of the day. In the not-too-distant past, the start-up laboratory costs for free-form equipment had been very high. And the prices for free-form lenses also seemed expensive. But as production, acceptance and market penetration of free-form lenses has grown, we’re seeing the prices of these lenses decreasing to the level where many good free-form designs are priced in line with traditional lenses. And further reductions are sure to follow.
2. My current/main lab doesn’t offer these new lenses—If they don’t now, they soon will. But why wait? Why not try one of the newer, all-digital labs that specialize in only free-form, digital lenses. As mentioned above, these lens costs can be comparable to your favorite, traditional premium lenses.
3. The unknown frontier—For many ECPs, digital/free-form technology is just all too new, unfamiliar and risky. With an established tradition of questioning the benefits and increased cost of any new lens, frame and other related ophthalmic technology, who can blame an ECP for asking “What I’m using now isn’t broke. Why should I experiment and take the risk changing from what I work with now?” By being among the first to introduce new products to their clients, ECPs can continue to effectively compete with the lure of Internet eyewear.

Risks and Rewards
With progressive lenses, ECPs generally accept the traditional wisdom of not changing the brand of progressive that a client is wearing, particularly if they seem “satisfied.” We’ve all taken risks here and sometimes found failure. And when we’ve experienced failure, we often immediately run back to the lens we already know. But looked at realistically, we all realize that there is no single progressive that is good for everyone that walks into your office. Yet, the prospect of experiencing dissatisfaction should not be a sufficient enough reason to avoid taking the risk of introducing a new lens design.
It is said that we learn more from our mistakes than from our successes. But even the normal updating or changing of a patient’s Rx comes with risks. We need to understand the questions that help define the risks we face every day in dispensing eyewear:
1. Will they see well?
2. Will they experience an unwanted or altered perspective?
3. Will they feel their eyewear will let them accomplish their daily tasks?
4. Will they like the way they look?
5. Will others (family and friends) approve of the appearance of the new eyewear?
6. Will the eyewear fit comfortably?
7. Will it hold its adjustment in a satisfactory manner?
8. Will the eyewear purchase be perceived as a good value?
9. Will the eyewear prove to be inconvenient?
10. Will the total eyewear experience ensure your client will be a repeat customer?
It’s no wonder, considering how complexly these risks are juggled when dispensing eyewear that ECPs are innately and often subconsciously concerned with managing and reducing the prospect of creating an unhappy customer.

How Well Do ECPs Manage Risks
When faced with recommending new eyewear, most dispensers tend to be a little chicken. This is a direct outgrowth of using a need-based approach to new eyewear. How many of the following, need –based, risk-reducing phrases do you or your staff use in an average work week?
1. “There’s so little change in your Rx, you don’t really need to get new glasses.”
2. “Don’t bother purchasing [expensive] prescription glasses, when over-the-counter    readers will work out just as well.”
3. “This frame style will go with everything you wear, so you’ll need only one pair.”
4. “Progressive lenses will let you see all ranges. There’s no need for separate pairs of glasses for work, hobbies or play.”
5. “Congratulations! Your eyes are perfectly healthy and you do not need to get (or change your) prescription glasses.”
6. “You only need to wear glasses to drive.”
7. “Choosing photochromic lenses means you won’t have to deal with the inconvenience and expense of separate sunglasses.”
If you don’t think these phrases connote reduced risk, then imagine communicating just the opposite thought for any one of them. Immediately you’ll discover the risks you’re avoiding by not suggesting your clients actually spend more money (and in some people’s opinion, more than they have to) for new, different or supplemental eyewear technology and/or fashion.
It’s important for ECPs to realize that our habitual approach to reducing risk has been rationalized and codified into being afraid to “guinea-pig” the latest products on our clients. Continuing to follow this modality would be a major mistake.
Instead, try taking a more proactive approach with recommending new technology. But always keep a back-up plan defining how you will handle the recommendations that don’t deliver on the promised benefit.

Recommending New Technology
There really are almost no risks to recommending this latest lens technology. Why? Because almost any type of quality free-form lens has a promise of better vision. And this benefit is consistent with every eyecare practitioner’s job to deliver the best vision possible. Using these better products, combined with a new, preventative approach to maintaining eye health is a win-win situation for patient and practitioner.

But, always lurking behind every recommendation is the doubt that either the client won’t find the new product superior to their previous, lower-cost eyewear or suffers an experience that is actually inferior to what they had before. Every ECP wants to avoid situations like these because they set precedents in the patient’s mind that some future product recommendations, especially those requiring paying more, may be met with increased doubt or skepticism. We’ve all heard clients say, “We’ve tried that (more-expensive) product before and it didn’t make any difference.”

Let’s look at an example that, in the recent past, truly didn’t work out as hoped. Every ECP will agree that earlier anti-reflective coatings for plastic lenses, from about 1998 to about 2002, could fall into this category. The approach I use to respond to client’s dissatisfaction with older AR (cleaning and/or adhesion failure that often appeared to clients as a propensity to scratch more easily) is simply honesty is the best policy. “Yes, these older AR coatings were substantially inferior in their cleaning and ability to stay adhered to your lenses. But today’s, premium AR finishes are in fact I believe, much better than they would have been if this crisis never occurred.” In keeping with the old saying, you learn more from your mistakes.

Taking Baby Steps in Free-form
Even with all the cheerleading for ECPs to try out these newer, free-form progressive lenses, some will simply not want to take a chance with either the increased cost or the prospect of problems that moving tried-and-true lenses can bring.
One of the best ways to begin experiencing the benefits of free-form technology is with single-vision. Especially if the Rx you’re dealing with has more than a 0.50D of cylinder power, consider suggesting one of the current free-form, single-vision designs, such as Essilor 360 SV or Shamir Autograph II SV. When packaged with a quality anti-reflective coating, these lenses will produce “wows” at your dispensing desk. In my store I heard the following exclamations when delivering free-form, single-visions lenses to mild to moderate astigmats:
1. “This is unbelievably clear!”
2. “It’s almost like HD vision!”
3. “Wow! This lens is like freaky clear!”
4. “It’s like a picture window made with my prescription.”
And single-vision, free-form costs only pennies more than some similar quality, stock finished lenses. The cost to the client and practitioner is not at all intimidating, while the accompanying optical compromises in progressive lenses are removed from the equation all together.

Free-form lenses represent the pinnacle of optical technology. Lens manufacturers and labs are continually improving the way they are designed and manufactured. If you’re not yet dispensing free-form lenses, or have had concerns about them, now is the time to fully embrace them. Your clients deserve nothing less than the best vision products you can deliver.   Article reprinted from 2020 Magazine, with the permission of Jobson Publishing.