Looking back, as a young pre-presbyope optometrist, I did not fully appreciate how annoying presbyopia is…until I found myself developing the condition.
In the case of our patients it is no less annoying and I know that most – if not all – of them would love to get their natural vision back. The advent of technology now gives us the opportunity to do this by personalising the solutions we provide.
Multifocals have been a great enhancement over bifocals, however most are typically designed to appeal to the average wearer and to be easily manufactured.
Multifocal prescriptions require unique optical designs to fully eliminate lens aberrations. Unless the corridor length of the lens design matches the ideal length associated with a given frame, performance is reduced. Although certain wearers may enjoy the intended optical performance from traditional progressive lenses, many wearers must tolerate sub optimal vision and performance.
Sophisticated software now facilitates individual designs manufactured using innovative freeform technology, based on the wearer’s unique vision parameters. This allows us to provide optimal vision to suit the wearer’s lifestyle with significantly reduced distortions, in effect, giving natural vision back to presbyopes.
myeyes manages the process of consumer communication, engagement and interaction, moving from a passive tell and sell approach to one of personalisation
The technology is now so advanced that software can create a unique progressive lens fully customised to the wearer’s prescription, fitting geometry and frame parameters. Furthermore, the innovation of freeform manufacturing has allowed these individual designs to be made dynamically and in a cost effective manner. This results in superior vision to suit the wearer’s lifestyle, with significantly reduced distortions.
The software design is the starting point and the fact that a multifocal is made via freeform technology means nothing unless the design is customised according to the wearer’s parameters.
Different manufacturers approach customisation in different ways. Some use prescription and ergonomic parameters to customise the basic design. Others use lifestyle, biometric and frame customisation which results in significantly modified lens designs for each wearer that may vary considerably from the base design.
What’s it Worth?
So, what do your patients think it is worth to give them back their natural vision?
Today’s consumers have plenty of options when it comes to deciding how to spend their money. What determines each decision is its level of importance.
Most of the population takes their vision for granted, which means one of our roles in eye care is to educate our patients on the importance of vision and the significant impact it can have on their lifestyle. But how do you convey that a lens is not a lens and that there are important differences between them?
The paternal model of health care, where the professional told the patient what was required and the patient blindly followed, pardon the pun, is no longer the way patients wish to be treated. Consumers have undergone a fundamental shift in their expectation and the way they purchase products and services. They like to be informed and given a choice.
Has your practice changed the way it presents its products and services to accommodate this shift?
Have the Conversation
Customised multifocals present a great opportunity to have a conversation based on your patient’s individual needs and the new technology options that are available.
This can be easier said than done of course. To be successful, your whole team needs to be involved in the process, and the approach they take needs to be correct, consistent and efficient.
The key messages they need to convey, when educating customers about premium multifocals, are that technology can provide superior vision, and that optimum vision will provide an important benefit to their lifestyle.
At eyeclarity we do this is by using our award winning myeyes patient experience platform (visit www. myeyes.vision). This software is an innovative approach and has a number of different modules, all designed to assist the consumer and result in much better outcomes for both them and the practice.
myeyes manages the process of consumer communication, engagement and interaction, moving from a passive tell and sell approach to one of personalisation. In the process, customers learn the differences between products and enjoy an enhanced customer experience. Today, when products can be bought everywhere and any time, this is vital – indeed, customer experience is the future of retailing and services.
At eyeclarity, using myeyes has resulted in 70 – 95 per cent of customers consistently purchasing premium multifocals, even in highly price sensitive markets. Additionally, re-purchases occur in the premium segment because consumers will not tolerate reverting to an inferior product.
The annoyance of presbyopia can be minimised by providing better visual solutions such as premium designed multifocal lenses. The challenge here is getting your patients to believe it’s possible and invest in the process.
Bonastar DailyPro2
Bonastar DailyPro2 is a ‘soft+wide’ free-form progressive design for general daily use that’s especially suitable for first time progressive wearers and patients that were previously non-adapted to other designs. With a smooth transition between distance and near vision it offers users the easiest way to find the focus points. Bonastar’s DailyPro2 is a safe solution for first time progressive customers due to its high performance and easy adaptation. DailyPro2 is the new version of DailyPro, and it’s available in all index.
Contact: Bonastar (AUS) 02 9310 1688
Signature Series MD
The Australian made Signature MD is developed using pioneering processing technologies and a sophisticated calculation program. This progressive lens incorporates multi-directional calculations and proprietary raster surfacing technologies through X, Y and Z co-ordinates to eliminate peripheral distortion by up to 70 per cent. This revolutionary new process is unique to the Signature MD and delivers true three dimensional viewing.
Contact: CR Surfacing (AUS) 03 9878 7599
Nikon Presio Master
Nikon’s latest NODE technology is a lens that provides clear vision and reduces visual stress that comes with juggling between television and mobile technology and reading in bed.
Presio Master’s back surface reduces aberrations created by the front. Aberration Filter Surface (AFS) Generation 3, uses two optimisation technologies to reduce deformation and blur in the lens periphery, the area of most visual stress for wearers. Additionally, Presio Master controls the direction and the amount of prism, reducing deformation and swim to enhance peripheral vision. AFS 3 also reduces blur in binocular vision by creating a design that ‘matches’ what the left and right eyes see.
Nikkon Presio Master available in 10, 12 and 14mm progressions with fitting parameters, in all indices, in clear and transitions.
Contact: Essilor Account Representative
Varilux Physio NE
Varilux Physio lenses give patients high definition vision and better contrast sensitivity in any light condition. They will be able to transition from near to far and every distance in between smoothly and effortlessly.
Two major innovations reduce aberration and enhance contrast: Advanced Digital Surfacing helps control aberration when the prescription is added to the lens and W.A.V.E. 2.0 Technology uses a pupil map to look at areas where the size of the pupil is different and analyses all the aberrations in the wavefront coming from those areas.
Available in 1.50, 1.53, 1.59, 1.60 & 1.67 in clear, transitions and polarised lenses.
Contact: Essilor Account Representative
Varilux S Series
The Varilux S Series offers presbyopes more stable vision and larger fields of vision thanks to better binocular design. Three patented technologies deliver these outcomes: Nanoptix reduces deformation of the image to drastically reduce swim, minimising the impact on balance experienced by some progressive wearers. SynchonEyes takes into account the difference in vision between left and right eyes. Starting from the binocular image view and breaking it out into the left and right designs patients report wider fields of vision. 4D Technology takes into account the patient’s dominant eye which ensures visual reaction times are maintained.
Available in a wide range of indexes, up to 1.74 in clear, transitions and polarised lenses.
Contact: Essilor Account Representative
Orion Lenses
Orion Freeform technology with Orion’s advanced digital lens designs deliver prescriptions to address patients’ specific visual requirements, within 1/100 of a dioptre. This results in easy adaptation and high patient satisfaction.
These lenses are engineered to reach the best balance between far, intermediate and near vision. High precision far vision and an excellent near zone provide wearers with a perfect combination of quality and comfort. In the distance zone, users will find a 180º region free of distortion to enjoy outdoor activities, giving clear vision at all distances. The near zone is further improved over that of a conventional progressive, giving a wider reading zone to improve comfort. Orion lenses come in customised options for different wearers: Orion Gold, Orion Platinum and Orion Diamond. Indoor progressive options are Orion ADL and i-PC.
Contact: GenOp Account Representative
Camber
The breakthrough behind Younger Optics’ Camber technology is recognising the significant impact the lens front surface – or base curve – has on visual acuity for progressive lens wearers. Base curve particularly influences peripheral vision, and near and intermediate zones.
Camber lens blanks feature an innovative variable base curve; the ideal base curve for all viewing zones. Digital Ray Path technology is used to maximise the benefit of the variable base curve. Individual parameters are used in design computations to customise the final product to the individual wearer.
Double blind wearer tests found 83 per cent of wearers reported easier adaptation, 94 per cent reported equal or better near vision quality, and 100 per cent noted the near zone was easier to find with Camber.*
Contact: Hastings Optical (AUS) 02 6584 3577
* camberlens.com/benefits_wearers_experiences.aspx
Hoyalux iD MyStyle V+
Hoyalux iD MyStyle V+ considers the right and left prescription as individual components when calculating the required binocular lens design. Binocular Harmonization Technology ensures the correction is appropriate at every point of the lens, according to the exact requirements of each eye. Hoyalux iD MyStyle V+ offers unlimited design variations to match each wearer’s personal visual needs. The new TrueView-i measuring device and the Hoya iDentifier software records the patient’s lifestyle, wearing parameters, prescription and wearing history. These variables are calculated to provide an optimal design and lens profile tailored to the individual needs of the wearer.
Contact: Hoya Account Representative.
Infinity 3D Maxima
The Maxima, designed by Opticare,
is manufactured in the company’s Sydney Lab using German FreeForm Machinery to an accuracy of 0.03D. It was launched in March 2016 following nine months in trial with optometrists throughout Australia.
The Maxima lens has the least unwanted cyl of any other lens design today. Based on a Plano lens with a 2.00ADD, the maximum unwanted cyl is 1.5D and this is located away from the line of vision – creating extreme comfort with minimal distortion and vision sway through the sides of the lens. All other fitting parameters (incl. pantoscopic tilt, vertex distance and frame wrap) are integrated as needed into the design. For maximum benefit, Opticare recommends to fit on Monocular Visual Axis (fovea reflex, not pupil centre). Infinity Maxima can be ordered in 0.125D increments, giving discerning patients better vision when needed.
Contact: Opticare (AUS) 02 9748 8777
Impression FreeSign 3
Impression FreeSign 3 progressive lenses can be adapted to your patient’s lifestyle with Rodenstock’s Individual design or one of three other design types: Active, Allround and Expert.
Active offers very high image stability at far and medium viewing distances for outdoor pursuits. The Allround lens delivers maximum visual comfort for all visual zones from near to far for patients with high vision demands – whether they’re cooking, driving or reading. Expert gives smooth vision at all distances and is particularly suited to the medium viewing distance and for digital use.
Rodenstock’s Impression FreeSign 3 Individual lens uses innovative measurement technologies including the ImpressionIST, to customise each lens to your patient’s eyes. All aberrations are corrected and patients enjoy 100% sharp, natural vision.
Contact: Rodenstock Account Mgr.
HDV Advanced Lens
Shaan’s HDV Advanced ‘first time’ design option is an ideal solution for patients with little or no experience wearing progressive lenses. It offers a balanced compromise between comfort for all distances and smooth transition between them. Its target is young presbyopes with a strong desire for a top of the range progressive lens.
Contact: Shaan (AUS) 07 3205 3324
Zeiss Precision Progressives
The Zeiss Precision Progressive Range uses state of the art technology so you can provide patients with absolutely personalised vision.
IndividualFit technology takes into account your patient’s main daily activities while luminance design technology optimises the astigmatism and higher-order aberrations of the lens and provides best natural vision in all lighting conditions. FaceFit technology optimises vision zones based on data for the frame, the position of the eyes and frame fit on the nose and ears. With this precise information, lens zone sizes can be improved and 3D vision potential fully utilised. Adaption control and framefit technology optimises the corridor, adapting to the wearer’s learned eye declination by comparing the previous frame with the new fitting height and addition power in order to create a convenient eye declination and near zone location. Digital inside technology allows the near vision zone to extend vertically and horizontally for both reading distances, print media and digital devices.
Contact: Your Zeiss Account Mgr.
GR – Resonas
GR-Resonas uses N Link design to simultaneously balance the vision of both eyes through the lenses and rebalance the aberrations and distortion fields based on a range of information including the individual’s PD, Rx, corridor, inset, and the lens material and curvature.
Tokai Optical used neuroscience to repeatedly test, evaluate and re-design the lens based on the visual cortex activity amplitude response. This results in a lens which provides better peripheral clarity and more natural vision. There are five corridors (11mm to 15mm) and two lifestyle designs (mild and clear) to choose from depending on patient needs and frame selection. Selecting the correct inset creates a channel that provides the clearest vision from distance through intermediate to near based on individual eye movements. Lenses are designed to be double sided aspheric and progressive to achieve as close to single vision perception as possible and provide smoother, clearer vision.
Contact: Tokai Australia (AUS) 07 3012 9422
