Transitions Optical has released its latest innovation: Transitions GEN S. The first major launch for the company in three years, this new product line represents a significant leap forward, moving beyond traditional light-adaptive lenses to offer what the company describes as a “dynamic light management system” that enhances overall visual performance.
Brian O’Neill, Global Vice President of Innovation, Technology and Operations at Transitions Optical, explained that Transitions GEN S is based on three key pillars: Speed, Style and Smart, that differentiate it from any other lens in the market.
“This is not just about style or typical performance measures associated with traditional photochromics,” Mr O’Neill explained. “It’s about enhancing your actual vision.”
Indeed, with the launch of Transitions GEN S, Mr O’Neill is positioning this latest technology not as an add-on feature, but as the new baseline for corrective lenses. “Choosing clear lenses over GEN S would be ‘downgrading’ one’s visual experience.
I would suggest that with this product, a dynamic GEN S lens is the new standard clear lens,” he told mivision.
Mr O’Neill expects this focus on clinical validation, which represents a significant shift for the ophthalmic lens sector, to resonate strongly with eye care professionals and patients alike
No Compromises
On the speed front, Transitions GEN S lenses activate remarkably fast when exposed to UV light. Mr O’Neill noted they can reach category one tint in just two seconds, category two in seven seconds, and full category three sun lens darkness in 25 seconds. Perhaps even more impressive is the fade back speed when adapting from dark to clear.
“This product is twice as fast as Transitions GEN 8 was in terms of fade back,” Mr O’Neill said. “It will fade back to perfect, crystal-clear clarity in less than two minutes.”
This rapid change addresses a common complaint with photochromic lenses – the lag time when moving between outdoor and indoor environments. Mr O’Neill emphasised that the speed is now so quick, “wearers may not even notice the change occurring”. Additionally he noted that all eight Transitions GEN S colours offer identical activation speeds and darkness levels.
In terms of style, Transitions GEN S introduces a new “absolutely beautiful” colour – ruby – expanding the palette to eight options.
“We re-engineered all the colours to go through the exact same light spectrum throughout activation and throughout fade back,” Mr O’Neill said. “You will always maintain that beauty of colour throughout all stages of the lens’s performance.”
Smart Vision Enhancement
While speed and style improvements are significant, it’s the ‘smart’ aspect of Transitions GEN S that really gets Mr O’Neill enthused. For the first time, he said, Transitions is able to position its lenses as medical devices that can measurably improve visual performance.
Mr O’Neill, whose background includes a PhD in Human Molecular Genetics and extensive experience in healthcare innovation, explained that Transitions GEN S lenses have been clinically proven to enhance contrast sensitivity and perception.
By “playing in the sandpit” with chemicals, materials, and photochromic dyes that sit in a host (matrix), he and his team have successfully built an entire portfolio of lenses that have been scientifically shown to actually “enhance visual performance”, he stated. Noting that protective features, like UVA and UVB protection are a given, he said there are “no compromises” in speed, style or smarts… “this lens builds on what we have achieved with previous generations”.
To get to this point Transitions Optical ran double-blinded randomised controlled studies… and then just looked at the data in terms of how Transitions GEN S lenses enhance vision when compared to regular clear and Transitions GEN 8 lenses.
The results were striking. Transitions GEN S lenses improved 39.5% contrast sensitivity during fade back (vs GEN 8) and 39% faster vision recovery from intense bright lights vs clear lenses.1,2
To validate the claims, Transitions partnered with leading vision scientists – Professors Pablo De Gracia, University of Detroit Mercy, and Billy Hammond, University of Georgia in the United States – and clinicians to conduct rigorous studies.1,2
Independent scientific manuscripts written by the principal investigators have been submitted to the Journal of Optometry and Vision Science.
Mr O’Neill expects this focus on clinical validation, which represents a significant shift for the ophthalmic lens sector, to resonate strongly with eye care professionals and patients alike.
Driving Innovation in Vision Care
For Mr O’Neill, the development of Transitions GEN S represents more than just a product launch – it’s part of a broader mission to advance understanding and treatment of vision-related health issues. And he said, it would not have been possible without the access to technologies, research and resources facilitated by EssilorLuxottica ownership.
“Human health is so misunderstood,” he explained. “At EssilorLuxottica, we are in a position to lead the way, not just in smart eyewear through collaborations with Meta and more, but in the fundamental understanding and improvement of vision globally.”
Mr O’Neill said his passion for this field stems partly from personal experience. His nephew’s battle with a rare genetic condition led him to study ocular genetics, setting him on a path that eventually brought him to Transitions.
“I’m always interested in the healthcare dimension and the medical applications of improving people’s health,” he says. “As optometrists, we think we are improving people’s vision, but it’s the brain that is actually controlling a person’s vision. It’s not their eyes. It’s all of what’s been processed within the brain… there’s a lot more to the retina than meets the eye.”
As such, he sees Transitions GEN S as just the beginning of what’s possible when combining advanced materials science with a deep understanding of visual physiology.
“We have a richer portfolio of potential product launches than we’ve ever had,” he said. “I’ve never been so excited”.
References
- Harth JB, Wysocky CJ, Hammond BR, Renzi-Hammond LM, Using new photochromic spectacle lenses to attenuate light stress in healthy adults. Manuscript ready for submission in Journal of Optometry.
- Duarte-Toledo R, Mompeán J et al., A new photochromic lens improves contrast sensitivity during fade-back. Accepted abstract at ARVO 2024. Manuscript in preparation.
