| VISION Optometrists have made the strategic decision to form an association, and closely collaborate with the EyeQ Group. EyeQ have been leaders in optometry in the Cape for many years now and have decided to venture into the hurly burly of Gauteng. The“Vision” between EyeQ and VISION Optometrists is shared, hence a perfect overlap of our professional cultures, superlative product offerings, services and customer care.
The fruit of this association is the BRAND NEW STORE in Menlyn Park Shopping centre Pretoria!!
EyeQ in Menlyn Park Shopping Centre opened its doors in December of 2014, with leading optometrists – Junilla Gabel (one of partners from VISION who will practice in Pretoria twice a week) and David Erasmus taking the helm. This exciting endeavour is the beginning of VISION and EyeQ’s push to bring world class optometry, top notch eye care brands and leading eye health services to all of South Africa.
So what changes for you, the Vision client? Nothing at all except the advantage of being part of a small, focused group of optometry stores that have top class, progressive optometry at heart.
Kind regards,
Multifocal designs have evolved dramatically over the years, and we want to introduce some of the terminology and latest developments to you.
As you may have heard from media advertising, the buzz words are: HD, Digitally Enhanced, Free Form and I-Scription. All of these have been around for the last few years and as the older generation designs are gradually discontinued, these lenses have become the designs of choice.
Multifocal lenses are used to correct presbyopia and other disorders of accommodation. The lens has the wearer’s distance prescription at the top of the lens, intermediate prescription in the middle and the reading power at the bottom of the lens. The power gradually changes from the top to the bottom of the lens providing providing vision for all distances. The length of the progressive power depends on the design of the lens. All multifocal lenses have some level of peripheral distortion, again dependent on the design.
Older generation lenses were relatively unfriendly designs as the design and pattern of the lens were predetermined.
Traditional lens manufacturing involved using a semi-finished lens blank. The multifocal design, front curve of the lens and difference in power from the top of the lens to the bottom (the add power) were moulded on the front surface of the lens. The laboratory would then grind the prescription into the back surface of the blank using a generator. The lens would then be polished to complete the process. This process did not allow for any customization of the progressive designs.
Free-form manufacturing (also referred to as Digital or HD lenses) can produce a highly customized and highly accurate finished lens. While with traditional lenses the semi-finished front pattern was set with “Freeform, HD or Digitally Enhanced” lenses the designs are tailored to each prescription.
This is possible to due to the modern software and manufacturing processes which allow the input of individual prescriptions and eye centration details, and some designs even take into account the position of wear of the frame to create a truly customized lens that is not possible with older generation lenses.
This complex manufacturing of a multifocal lens is done on computer-controlled machinery allowing ‘freeform surfacing’, as opposed to the earlier process, thus explaining the difference in price. In short, the price is based on the technology used and the year the lens is launched.
These modern multifocal lenses result in higher definition, comfortable transition between the top and bottom of the lens and wider corridors. These enhancements result in quicker adaptation, with easier, more natural postural behaviour. Added to this special design options are available to further accommodate your specific visual demands.
We, at Vision, have always believed in providing the best optical/visual solutions to our clients and introduce the latest technology as soon as it gets launched.
“I-Scription” lenses by Zeiss are a further subdivision of “High Definition” lenses.
Lenses are normally prescribed in quarter dioptre steps i.e. 0.25, 0.50 etc. With I-Scription lenses your lenses will be custom made in 0.01 steps introducing a new level of customisation and accuracy. That is quite’ wow’ in terms of improved night vision, colour vision and contrast. In general these lenses usually work very well with people with complex prescriptions or those people who always seem to not see crisply even with an updated prescription. At Vision optometrists we have all the equipment necessary for prescribing these unique lenses.
See your world
The Vision Team
In our next newsletter, we will tell you more about the little brother of multifocal lenses: the Office lens. The complete solution for your office environment.
Picture references:
1. Zeiss I-scription lenses
2. Seiko Individual Progressive lenses |
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