New Additions to Jungle Animals Line

Bo Optik adds several new models to their Jungle Animals collection, like Viper and Beetle for boys, Butterfly, Cincilla and Monarch for girls.

« We used the customer’s feedback and modified the models to better suit children’s faces. Collaborating with our customers directly in the development of frames is one of the new approaches we have taken in designing our models. We want to continue making glasses that kids love to wear, and dispensers need, » says one of the product development members.

These new additions to the Jungle Animals collection are just some of the many new models recently added. Notably, the Oryx was launched earlier this year, had amazing sell through, and continues to sell tremendously well with its soccer-themed style for boys.

Also noteworthy is the Peacock model with its brilliant colours for girls, making it one of the top sellers of the year and the recipient of rave reviews from customers.

Essilor introduces Varilux S series

Essilor introduces its new line of products, Varilux S series, a revolution in lens technology, design and personalization. Protected by 13 patents, Varilux S series innovations provide the wearer with stability of vision in motion (reduction of swim effect up to 90%), wide angle vision (widening of binocular fields of vision up to 50%) and reflex vision (faster visual reaction time).

Nanoptix^™, a revolution in lens technology

Nanoptix completely reengineers the lens structure and the way the design is calculated. The lens is no longer viewed just as a front and back surface. Instead, Nanoptix divides the lens into many optical elements. Each optical element is optimized in both base curve and power to stabilize the beam deviation. The result: a progressive lens that virtually eliminates swim effect, and offers unmatched stability of vision in motion.

SynchronEyes^™, a revolution in lens design

SynchronEyes technology takes into account the physiological differences between the two eyes to calculate the lenses as a pair, a visual system. It provides wide angle vision and edge to edge clarity.

4D Technology^™, a revolution in personalization

Just as we are left-or right-handed, we have a leading dominant eye. By respecting the dominant eye leading role, 4D Technology offers faster visual reaction time, allowing the wearer to experience reflex vision.

Tested and approved by wearers

During the tests, conducted in accordance with an endorse protocol by the Research Center 968 INSERM University Pierre et Marie Curie, wearers around the world highlighted the excellence of Varilux S series by ranking it first for every single feature : overall quality of vision, distance vision, intermediate vision, near vision, dynamic vision and adaptation.

New Lens to Fit a Modern Home & Office Lifestyle

Nikon has developed a new lens called Home & Office, specifically designed for comfortable indoor vision focusing on extended intermediate vision.

Research suggests that Canadians spend up to 90% of their time indoors, with an average of nine hours a day in front of a screen. The majority of screens are positioned at what is considered an intermediate distance.  Nikon researchers had this changing lifestyle in mind when they designed the Home & Office lens which provides a 50% wider intermediate zone than the traditional progressive lens.  In other words, it allows the wearer a clear view whether it’s of a computer/tablet or simply looking across the room.

As compared to a progressive lens, Nikon’s Home & Office improves natural head and eye movement and helps alleviate many symptoms that may be caused by increased time spent indoors using your intermediate vision. Home & Office lenses – designed to fit your prescription, lifestyle and visual needs.

The Nikon Home & Office lens is suitable for many professions: physicians, surgeons, musicians, hairdressers, customer service agents, architects, accountants, seamstresses, artists, assembly line workers, air traffic controllers, electricians, technicians and the list goes on.

In fact, Nikon Home & Office is recommended to any presbyope working or spending time indoors and desiring an extended intermediate field of vision. A digital task specific lens, Nikon Home & Office is available in indices 1.50, 1.60, 1.67 and 1.74, from total sphere +8.00D to -12.00D, cylinder -6.00D. Available in Nikon renowned coatings:  SeeCoat Blue, SeeCoat Plus, ICE and HCC.

Rodenstock Presents Colormatic IQ 1.54

RodenstockCanadaannounces a new photochromic lens material, Colormatic IQ 1.54 index. This new product has excellent benefits for the consumer, including natural colour vision with lens colours that are perfectly adapted to the human eye, and with 100 percent UVA and UVB filtering that absorbs 6 percent more UV at 400 nm than other photochromic lenses. Also, the material is almost completely clear indoors, with only a 5 percent base absorption – the clearest on the market. 

Like all Rodenstock photochromic materials, the new 1.54 Colormatic IQ lenses have the Rodenstock anti-aging factor for significantly improved lifetime of the photochromic effect. 

Colormatic IQ in 1.54 index was launched inCanadaonMay 1, 2012and is available in all freeform single vision and progressive lenses, including MyView and Impression. It will be available soon in PureLife semi-finished lenses.

Nikon Improves and Expands

Today’s digital screens are usually equipped with power light sources such as Light Emitting Diodes (LED). Long exposure to this light can increase eye strain. To address this problem, Nikon now offers SeeCoat Blue, an alternative coating specifically designed to cut blue light by 10 per cent. SeeCoat Blue improves contrast and reduces screen brightness, flickering and eye fatigue, offering a stress-free visual experience.

SeeCoat Blue transmits 97.5 per cent of light, which equates to that of a standard AR coating.

All other features of SeeCoat Plus are maintained, so that in addition to cutting blue light SeeCoat Blue provides scratch resistant, anti-static, anti-reflective and smudge resistant properties. 

SeeCoat Blue is available on all Nikon Rx single vision, Nikon Relaxsee, Nikon Online and on all Nikon premium progressives (SeeMax Power AP, Presio Power and Balance Digital). 

Furthermore, in response to the ever-increasing demand for high base frames, Nikon introduces bases 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 on Balance Digital 12. Fitting the wrong lens curve in a given frame creates warpage and distortion. These new base options now allow the transfer of a given prescription to a different base curve to match the frame’s profile.

Balance Digital 12 1.60 is now available in bases 4 and 7 for its polarized version from total sphere -6.00D to +7.00D, cylinder -6.00 up to an addition of +3.50D, as well as, in bases 3, 5 and 6, for its clear and Transitions^® versions from total sphere -8.00D to +5.00D, cylinder -4.00 up to an addition of +4.00D. 

Balance Digital is available with its renowned Nikon coatings SeeCoat Plus, HCC ICE and HCC in addition to SeeCoat Blue.

Balance Digital is offered in 10-mm, 12-mm and 14-mm corridor lengths in a choice of index 1.50, 1.60, 1.67 and 1.74, in both clear and Transitions, with polarized 1.60 available in corridors 12-mm and 14-mm.

Centennial Introduces Sauflon Bioclear Contact Lenses to Canada

Centennial Optical has added Sauflon Bioclear^TM monthly replacement lenses to their contact lens portfolio, complementing Bioclear 1 Day lenses, which were introduced in 2011. 

Bioclear lenses contain the biomimetic additive, AquAtract^TM, which has water-bonding properties that result in enhanced comfort for all-day wear. Independent clinical studies* showed that patients are able to wear Bioclear and Bioclear 1 Day for longer periods than other hydrogel lenses, reporting continued comfort over the entire wearing time. Bioclear received higher scores for handling and overall performance, compared to competitive lenses.

As with all of Centennial’s contact lens products, Bioclear contact lenses are available exclusively through eyecare professionals. “Since the inception of our company in 1985, Sauflon has maintained a strict Eyecare Professional Only policy”, says David Wells, Sauflon’s export sales director, “and Centennial’s shared commitment to this approach is part of the reason we chose them as our exclusive Canadian distributor.” Mike Jones, director of lens sales for Centennial, added, “It is only fair that the ECP, who performs the examinations and patient trials, creating the market for this product, be provided with the tools to retain the business they’ve created”.

*Clinical studies conducted by the globally respected independent research group, Eurolens ResearchUK, at theUniversityofManchester.

Nikon Introduces New Ultra-Thin and Ultra-Strong 1.74 Material

Nikon Optical Canada was the first ophthalmic lens supplier to introduce 1.74 index material lenses in 2000. The company recently announced that the new 1.74 material offers an even more robust performance. Laboratory tests conducted at an independent lab as well as internal tests proved the new 1.74 by Nikon is three times more resistant to cracks, three times more flexible and 50 per cent stronger when compared to the older 1.74 material.

For those seeking a superb optical lens, Nikon offers the 1.74 ultra-high index plastic lens. This thin and lightweight material delivers the most natural eye appearance and a lens curve and thickness which are the most flattering.

The 1.74 material is 50 per cent thinner than standard plastic lenses, giving the most discriminating patients a chance to wear any types of lenses, now including NL5AS Transitions^® lenses.

NL5AS Transitions lenses are available in grey and brown, ranging from total sphere +8.00D to -16.00D, cylinder -4.00D. Available on surfaced lenses in Nikon’s renowned coatings: SeeCoat Plus, HCC ICE and HCC. NL5AS Transitions has UV400 protection built in and offers exceptional visual comfort and quality.

Younger Optics Now Offers Transitions XTRActive Finished Lenses

Younger Optics is the first to release Transitions^® XTRActive™ finished single vision (FSV) lenses. Hard Resin lenses are available immediately and polycarbonate lenses will be arriving soon. These lenses are available in an Rx range of -4.00 to +4.00, cylinder out to -2.00. This means that labs have the ability to fill a greater number of prescriptions with finished lenses, rather than processing semi-finished XTRActive lenses.

This is the latest addition to Younger Optics’ extensive line of Transitions FSV lenses, which includes several materials and coating options.

“Younger Optics is committed to supporting the entire line of Transitions Optical lenses,” said David Rips, president and CEO of Younger Optics. “Now Younger is the world leader in Transitions XTRActive lenses.”

In addition to finished Transitions XTRActive, Younger Optics also offers XTRActive lenses in semi-finished hard resin, polycarbonate, Trilogy^® and high-index 1.67.

Carl Zeiss Vision Unveils PhotoFusion

Carl Zeiss Vision launched a new, proprietary self-tinting lens: PhotoFusion by ZEISS, offering faster darkening and fade-back than any of their previous lines of self-tinting lenses.

On average, and depending on material, temperature and light conditions, PhotoFusion lenses clear up to twice as fast and darken up to 20% faster than previous self-tinting lenses offered by ZEISS. They are very clear indoors (92% transparency with antireflective coating) and very dark in sunlight (11% transparency with antireflective coating). PhotoFusion lenses provide 100% protection against UV rays up to 400 nm and excellent colour consistency for natural vision. They also retain their self-tinting ability for the life of the prescription (two years).

The innovative PhotoFusion technology is based on patented photoactive molecules that unfold when exposed to UV light, thus darkening the lens and providing UV protection. Combined with award-winning ZEISS lenses, this technology is a significant improvement on the basic principle of photochromic eyeglass lenses. PhotoFusion is currently available on all ZEISS, SOLA and AO customized lenses, including progressives and single vision, as well as GT2^® by ZEISS and GT2^® Short by ZEISS, with broader availability coming soon.

PhotoFusion lenses are distributed inCanadaby Carl Zeiss Vision and Centennial Optical.

Lenses with a Relaxation Effect

Rodenstock offers spectacle wearers up to age 45 a new relaxation solution to deal with frequently changing vision requirements in everyday life. This option called Aveo – “feeling well” in Latin – can be ordered separately and supports eyes when they adjust to different distances, making sure that they look fresher, more relaxed and more attractive all day long.

Whether we are reading, driving a car or working at the computer, our eyes must constantly adjust to new visual distances. On average, it happens at least 30,000 times a day. Over time, this can lead to shimmering, double images, unclear vision, streaming, burning or irritated eyes, a pressure feeling and headaches – in short, the « office eye syndrome. » Rodenstock Aveo can help alleviate the daily, additional strain on the eyes and support a dynamic and active lifestyle for spectacle wearers who are under 45 years old.

Thanks to a slight reading boost of 0.5 dioptres in the lower area of the lens, vision is less fatiguing. Even when frequently shifting the focus, absolutely clear and simultaneously relaxed vision is guaranteed right to the edge of the lens. Rodenstock Aveo reduces fatigue symptoms and makes eyes more efficient. That way, even a stressful day at work can be dealt with in a relaxed way.

All normal near and far vision spectacles from Rodenstock can be equipped with Aveo as an additional option.