Custom Lenses

Progressive Lenses

Presbyopia literally means ‘old eyes’ and signifies the loss of ability to focus on objects at near distances. To be able to wear eyeglasses without the need to take them on and off, presbyopes need at least two different corrections, one for distance viewing and one for near viewing. A major advance in eyeglass lenses came in the 19th century with the invention of the bifocal lens to aid presbyopic wearers.

From Bifocals to Progressives

Since the invention of lined bifocals, the method of manufacturing, size, location and number of segments have been modified to create today’s designs. One of the most distracting problems for wearers of bifocals is the
visible line dividing near and distance sections.

Designed to overcome the problems of bifocals, the current state of the art in multifocal lenses is the Progressive Addition Lens (PAL). PALs have no visible lines.

Progressive lenses are the closest to natural vision, prior to the onset of presbyopia, that you can get in a pair of prescription eyeglasses. Progressive lenses provide a smooth transition from distance through intermediate to near. With this constant graduation, you can look up to see in the distance, look down to read and look straight ahead to see things at arms length, like your computer screen.

How Progressive Lenses Work

Today, approximately 38% of all multi-focal lenses sold in the U.S. are progressive. Even so, the principles behind progressive additional lenses still remain somewhat of a mystery to many.

State-of-the-art progressive addition lenses are one piece lenses that vary gradually in surface curvature from a minimum value in the upper, distance portion, to a maximum value in the lower, near position. The result is a smooth, continuous increase in surface power that provides the necessary near addition (or add power), without any visible lines of demarcation or abrupt disturbances of vision.

A typical, general-purpose progressive lens will have three distinct zones of vision:

1. Distance – A designated zone located in the upper section of the lens, which provides the necessary distance correction.

2. Near – A designated zone in the lower portion of the lens, which provides the required near addition or add power.

3. Intermediate – A ‘corridor’ in the central position of the lens connects these two zones, which increases progressively in plus power from the distance to the near.

These three zones of vision blend together seamlessly, providing the wearer with a continuous depth of field from near to far.

The benefits afforded by the optical features of a progressive additional lens include:

• No visible segments or lines of demarcation – provides more cosmetically appealing lenses with continuous vision, free from visually distracting borders.
• Clear vision at all distances – provides vision that more closely resembles the lost accommodation of the eyes .
• No unwanted image displacement – or jump – ensures that there are no abrupt disturbances
  of vision.

Anti-Reflective Coating

Anti-reflective coating is an incredibly thin, multi­layer coating that virtually eliminates lens reflections.

Advantages of Anti-Reflective Coating

More Natural: Less glare and reflection means you will see the world more clearly and, equally as important, you’ll look more natural to those looking at you.

Increased Vision: Anti-reflective lenses diminish glare, refections and ghost imaging, thereby helping you see better.

Clearer: By allowing more available light to filter through your glasses, anti-reflective lenses help you see things more clearly.

Scratch and Water Resistant: Advances in technology from only a few short years ago make anti-reflective coatings both scratch and wear resistant.

Transition Lenses

Transitions Lenses contain special photochromic crystals which cause the lens to automatically adjust to let in the right amount of light. They are ideal for everyday lenses, providing convenient protection from several types of glare.

Benefits of Transition Lenses

Automatic Protection: Transitions Lenses block 100% of UVA and UVB rays and reduce the effects of glare. They quickly darken when you go outside to a neutral gray or warm brown tint. When you return indoors, they lighten much quicker than prior versions of photochromic lenses. They also enhance the ability to discern objects of varying size, brightness and contrast, enabling you to see better in all light conditions.

Transitions Lenses are not only beneficial to active adults but also to those with special needs. Photosensitivity can develop with certain conditions such as diabetes, prior eye surgeries or when taking certain prescription medications. These particular patients are excellent candidates for Transitions Lenses. It is also never too early to protect your children’s eyes. They spend so much time outdoors and are more susceptible to UV rays because their eyes continue to develop into their teen years.

Wide Range of Availability: Transitions are available in a wide range of lens designs, including single vision, bifocals, trifocals and progressives. They are also available in shatter­ resistant and high index materials that are lighter in weight.

Polarized Lenses

Imagine you are standing on the shore of a calm lake in the morning. What you see is bright, glass­like mirrored surface on the water, with no detail, little contrast and poor color saturation. As you slip on your polarized glasses, the bright, glass-like mirror is replaced with a scene that shows detail and has deep colors and good contrast. That’s what polarized lenses can do.

Commonly Asked Questions about Polarized Lenses

Do Polarized Lenses Separate? All polarized lenses used to be polarized film sandwiched between two pieces of glass and later plastic. This lamination would often peel or delaminate, rendering the lens useless. Today’s technology has virtually eliminated this problem. Glass lenses are still laminated, but have been improved to the point that delaminating is rare.

Aren’t Polarized Lenses Expensive? The other myth about polarized lenses is that they are unaffordable. In actuality, while the quality of polarized lenses has improved, the cost has decreased. When you compare all of the added benefits of polarized lenses, most find the cost difference between regular lenses and polarized lenses to be negligible. Keep in mind that both the ultraviolet protection as well as the tint is added to the lens by the manufacturer and does not have to be added to the total cost.

Don’t Sunglasses Need to be Extra Dark to be Effective? Many think their sunglasses have to be extra dark in order to get the most protection. The inability of an unpolarized lens to effectively handle glare is why some felt they had to have their sunglasses extra dark. Most will find that the standard polarized lens will give them the comfort they need without the extra darkness. For those that actually do need an extra dark lens, tint can be added to a polarized lens, though it will not increase the polarization.

Who Should Avoid Polaroid Lenses? Even with today’s technology, or maybe because of it, there are still a few drawbacks to the polarizing effects. Professional skiers might actually need glare to see ice patches and some LCD (liquid Crystal Display) screens may be invisible through a Polaroid lens.

Benefits of Polarized Lenses

Polycarbonate Lenses

If you are looking for the lightest weight, safest lenses today, polycarbonates may be the best choice for you. Because less of the polycarbonate lens material is needed to provide the same amount of visual correction
that a traditional plastic lens offers, polycarbonate lenses are thinner and lighter in weight. In fact, polycarbonate lenses are sometimes referred to as featherweight lenses.

Polycarbonate lenses are great for sports goggles, safety eyewear and children’s eyewear. Polycarbonate lenses are less brittle than traditional lens materials, so they hold up better under impact. They usually will not break, even when coming in contact with fast moving objects, like balls, racquets or BB’s.

In addition, polycarbonate lenses have built-in ultraviolet protective properties and are naturally scratch resistant. Polycarbonate lenses do not require any special coating to shield the eye from harmful UV rays or any additional scratch resistant coatings.

High Index Lenses

Recent advances in lens material technology have made lenses available with characteristics that were only dreamed of just a few years ago.

Advantages of High Index Lenses

Thinner: New lens materials bend light rays more than old­ fashioned plastic lenses. Your lenses are up to 35 % thinner.

Lighter: Lower specific gravity means lighter lenses. Thinner lenses are also lighter, in some cases by as much as 43%.

Aspheric Lenses

In an aspheric design, the lenses have flatter curves; this means lenses do not bulge out of the frame as much as regular lenses. The profile of aspheric lenses is therefore slimmer, which greatly enhances the appearance of finished eyewear. Unlike high index lenses, aspherics provide substantial benefits for both near-sighted and far-sighted wearers.

Benefits of Aspheric Lenses

Superior Optics: A basic principle of optics dictates that distortion is created when wearers look away from the center of a conventional lens. Aspheric lens designs reduce or eliminate such distortions. This is because as the eye travels away from the center of the Jens, the front curve changes, keeping the optics crisp and clear.
This is why all expensive camera lenses feature aspheric curves.

More Natural Looking: Strong far­ sighted lenses have a tendency to enlarge the wearer’s eye, producing
an unattractive magnified look. Strong nearsighted lenses do just the opposite. They minimize the wearer’s eyes so they tend to look small and beady. Aspheric lenses fit closer to the eyes thereby lessening this magnification or minimization, for a more attractive, natural look.

Aspheric Lenses: Added Advantages

Complex mathematics and sophisticated manufacturing techniques help create a lens surface designed to eliminate most front surface bulging and the distortions at the lens’ edge inherent in old-fashioned plastic lenses.

Slimmer Profile: The use of flatter curvatures creates a slimmer lens profile; lenses don’t bulge out on your frame.

Better Peripheral Vision: Vision through the lens is dear, right to its edge.

More Natural Appearance: Less distortion means you will see the world more clearly and equally important, you’ll look more natural to those looking at you.

Tips on Aspheric Lenses

Frame Selection: For several reasons, frame selection is important with aspheric lenses. In general, the best looking eyewear results when the frame is not overly large and when the eyes are centered in the middle of the
frame opening.

Taking measurements for aspheric lenses requires greater care and skill on the part of the optician. Creating the complicated curves used in aspheric lenses makes them a little more expensive than conventional lenses, but the outstanding cosmetic and visual benefits of these marvelous lenses make them a good investment.

Reflections: Since aspheric lenses are flatter and positioned slightly closer to the face than conventional lenses, some wearers may notice more reflections off the flatter back surface of the lenses. The best way to eliminate these reflections is to order an anti-reflective coating, which also improves vision through the lenses.

The Future: Atoric Lenses: Atoric lenses continue to be a growing portion of new ophthalmic lens products. The lenses combine two aspheric curvatures on the same surface, making them ideal for those patients with astigmatism.

Just like aspheric lenses lead the way for improvements over spherical base curve designs, atoric lenses are leading the way for improvements with cylinder prescriptions. It is likely that the majority of cylinder lenses will have an atoric design in the not very distant future.

Unconditional Warranty: Our best anti-reflective coating comes with a one year, unconditional warranty.