I promised you all last month that I would be writing a technology update in the near future. As previously mentioned, I'm proud to announce that our partnership with
Essilor, the world's leading ophthalmic lens manufacturer, is up and running and we are already prescribing their latest technologies for our patients. But rather than trying to explain what makes the Essilor products so advanced myself, I thought I would ask an expert to describe what makes the company and their products so innovative. Please enjoy this Q&A session with our Essilor lab consultant Casey:
Q: Casey, can you give us an idea of Essilor's mission statement and goals as an ophthalmic lens research and manufacturing company.
A: At Essilor, we are intensely dedicated to research and innovation. We strive to create the most beautiful, comfortable and durable corrective lens designs in the world. With our tradition of excellence and technological advancement in the optical field, and with a passionate management staff of experienced professionals, Essilor is truly the work of geniuses. And we strive for perfect quality for each and every Essilor customer.
Q: One of our goals is to always offer our Progressive lens wearers the best technology available. What is Essilor's best Progressive family to date, and what advantages do the different lenses within this family offer patients?
A:
The Varilux Physio family provides the sharpest, most natural progressive vision at every distance.
In multiple tests with thousands of wearers, people consistently prefer Varilux Physio lenses over other comparable traditionally surfaced lens designs. This lens continues to outperform many of the new digitally surfaced lens designs.
Varilux DRx - One thing to remember is that Design Drives Performance. Design is everything when it comes to progressive addition lenses (PALs). Unlike other "free form" or "full back side" lenses, only Varilux DRx lenses use a unique three-step process for superior back side digital lenses.
Superior Design coupled with High Quality Lenses and very precise digital process controls yields a lens with clearer, sharper vision at every distance
Physio Enhanced - The performance of Varilux Physio Enhanced lenses includes all the best elements of the Varilux Physio family of lenses like wider fields of vision. But Varilux Physio Enhanced goes even further, customizing your lenses for optimal performance in every light and at every distance based on your frame size and your visual correction needs
Q: We were recently lucky enough to obtain a specialized tablet called M'eyefit that will allow our office to take very precise measurements that are important when prescribing more customized Progressives like the Physio Enhanced. Would you please briefly describe what exactly the M'Eyefit is and how it enhances the Progressive experience?
A: The M'eyeFit is a stable, lightweight digital measuring device that allows flexibility and mobility in your practice while still ensuring a consistent, accurate fit. It is a quick and easy to use digital measuring system that allows you to obtain Pupillary Distances, Fitting (Optical Center) Heights, Vertex Distance, Pantoscopic Tilt, Wrap Angle, and Reading Distance quickly and easily.
Q: Essilor is also on the cutting edge of anti-glare/anti-reflective technology with its
Crizal line. Will you please describe what makes Crizal a leading technology, and the difference between the Crizal Avance, Sapphire, and Prevencia coatings?
A:
I think anti-reflective lenses are still one of the most under utilized options available. Quite simply Anti Reflective lenses will help you see better. At the end of the day that's what it's all about. From an Industry perspective I am still somewhat amazed that approximately 50% of patients leave without an AR coated lens.
The Crizal Family not only makes you See Better, Look Better and Feel Better, but provides the clearest vision and offers the most complete daily UV protection available. Within the Crizal Family we have a few specific technologies for patients to take advantage of.
Crizal Avancé UV features all the benefits Crizal Alizé UV plus the best durability and scratch resistance. And it not only resists dust--it repels it.
Crizal Sapphire UV is the clearest No-Glare lenses ever created. Crizal Sapphire UV is so clear, it's nearly invisible on the wearer. It gives you all the benefits of Crizal Avancé UV, plus the best clarity of vision to meet the visual demands that digital devices place on your eyes, such as computers, smartphones, video games and TVs.
Crizal Prevencia revolutionizes protection for your eyes and is designed to selectively filter out harmful light while letting beneficial light pass through.
Crizal Prevencia No-Glare lenses work in 3 ways:
1. Selectively filter out harmful light (Blue-Violet & UV)
2. Allow beneficial light to pass through (visible light, including Blue-Turquoise)
3. Maintain excellent transparency (clear No-Glare lens) for optimal vision at all times
Q: Essilor has also introduced a premium polarized technology called Xperio. Will you explain how Xperio is different from traditional polarization and what advantages it offers to sunglass wearers?
A:
Xperio UV is in fact different than most polarized lenses. Xperio UV is the only outdoor lens solution that provides at least 50 times more protection from dangerous UV radiation, compared to wearing no lenses at all. Xperio UV not only blocks transmitted UV radiation, but also eliminates backside UV reflection.
Xperio UV lenses are formulated with a technologically advanced hard coat and an easy to clean layer on the front and backside of the lens. This means the lenses are stronger, and more dirt and smudge resistant than any other lens. No other sun lens resists dirt, dust, smudges, oil and waters as Xperio UV.
Q: I know Essilor has a huge line of products, but are there any other fun and interesting products that you'd like to let our patients know about?
A:
In terms of lens technology the Newest Varilux Progressive is performing far beyond what I would have expected. When Varilux released their new S Series line, I was a bit skeptical. I thought to myself, "how could they make something that performs better than Physio"
They hit the ball out of the park with this lens. It is a great feeling when opticians forward me emailed testimonials of how "this is the best I have seen in years."
I think as an industry we tend to focus much of our attention on Progressive lenses. While digital surfacing becomes more and more prevalent, it seems we have made huge strides in what we are able to offer to SV (single-vision) patients now. Digital SV lenses can now be customized for individual patient needs, much in the same way we can with a progressive. This is really exciting, as I think of the huge leaps that have been made in terms of what we can do for SV patients with extreme Rx's.
Thank you Casey for giving your time and for sharing your knowledge. We look forward to growing our partnership and to offering our patients the best ophthalmic lenses the industry has to offer.
If our readers have any questions about Essilor and their products, please feel free to email us and we will forward to Casey. He is always generous with his time and I'm sure will be happy to answer whatever questions he can.
