What’s New in Short-Corridor PALs
Sidebar to cover story of VisionMonday December 19,
2005
What’s New in
Short-Corridor PALs
As the short-corridor product category has matured, just about every lens manufacturer has a short-corridor product in its line-up. Last year, VM presented “Who’s Who in Short-Corridor PALs” (Dec. 18, 2004, page 29). This year, some new short-corridor lenses have entered the market, while established product lines have added new options.
Carl Zeiss Optical
Zeiss introduced the short-corridor Brevity lens, with 16-mm fitting heights, available in 1.50 and 1.67 high-index plastic. This year, the company now boasts a full range of powers covered by the Brevity brand, and has added 1.67 high-index and Transitions materials.
The company, which merged with SOLA Optical, also offers the AO Compact, the original short-corridor lens, with a full range of add powers. The SOLAOne features an 18-mm fitting height that works in smaller frames.
Essilor
The Varilux Ellipse, introduced a year ago, features a minimum 14-mm fitting height with a wide field of vision, in standard plastic, 1.56 high index, and polycarbonate. Recently, the company added 1.67 high-index and Transitions photochromic materials to the brand.
Essilor also offers the Nikon Presio i13, which offers wide near vision with a short progression.
Essilor also acquired the Definity PAL line from the Spectacle Lens Group of Johnson & Johnson Visions care. The Definity short-corridor product, with fitting heights as low as 16 mm, features “groundview technology” that helps wearers recognize stairs and other ground-level objects more clearly. The Definity also offers patients Essilor’s only polarized short-corridor option.
Excelite
The company’s X-PRO Minuo features a fitting height of 16-mm fitting height and is available in standard plastic, 1.50, 1.60 high-index Abbe 42, and Trivex materials. The lens, available only through wholesale optical labs and buying groups, features a reading area of 4.5 mm.
Hoya Vision Care
The Summit cd short-corridor, with a 14-mm fitting height and an 11-mm corridor, is available in Hoya Phoenix (Trivex) and Hoya Transitions, as well as in 1.50 Hilux, 1.60 Eyas high-index, and 1.70Evy ultra-high-index materials.
INDO Lens US
The Micra short-corridor features a 16-mm fitting height, but Indo claims that for low add powers (2.00 D and below, a short 14-mm fitting height can be used. Micra uses the company's proprietary hard-resin Superfin material, available in base curves 4.00 through 7.00 with a -6 back curve.
Optima
The 14-mm Resolution Response was introduced in January, featuring Vue Point technology, which balances the optics over the entire surface of the lens, according to the company. The birefringence-free polycarbonate PALs are impact-resistant and feature 100 percent ultraviolet protection. The company recently introduced Resolution Response with Transitions V photochromic material.
Polycore Optical USA
The Micro Progressive features a 16-mm fitting height and an aspheric soft design. Initially available in semi-finished mid-index 1.56 SunSensors Gray and Brown, this year, the company added lens options in standard plastic and LiteAire polycarbonate.
Seiko Optical Products of America
The company has recently introduced the Proceed III Super Short, with a fitting height of 16 mm and a corridor length of 12 mm. It is available hardcoated, uncoated, and in Transitions gray and brown, and the company said it is an ideal lens for drilling.
Seiko also offers a “retina forward design” in the Pentax AF mini, with a corridor length of 14 mm and a minimum fitting height of 17 mm. The AF mini comes in 1.50 index, 1.60 and 1.67 high-index materials; the DiamondClear is a 1.59 polycarbonate lens.
Shamir Insight
The Piccolo lens from Shamir Insight deˇbuted in 1999 and is currently available in plastic, high-index 1.60, next-generation Transitions, and glass. This year, the company added 1.67 and 1.67 with Transitions to its Piccolo brand. Also available is Piccolo with Attitude, for sports users.
Signet Armorlite
The Kodak Concise, which debuted in late 2000 with a 14-mm corridor and a 17-mm fitting height in a soft design, was initially available in semi-finished 74-mm hard-resin scratch-resistant lenses; it is also now available in plain standard resin, and with scratch resistant coating, and in PolyClear, 1.56 and 1.60 EvoClear, 1.67 high-index, and Corning SunSensors mid-index and InstaShades gray and brown 1.56 EvoClear photochromic materials.
This year, Signet Armorlite added Trivex and photochromic InstaShades in 1.56, and 1.66; it will add polycarbonate in 2006.
Tokai Optical
This Japanese lens manufacturer entered the U.S. market in 2004 with its 1.70 ultra-high-index lenses, which are available in 13-mm and 15-mm corridor heights. The 13-mm lens is also known as the Beluno Deseo, and is only available frome wholesale labs.
Vision-Ease Lens
The Illumina lens was launched this year, featuring a 17-mm fitting height and an ultra-wide reading area. The lens is available in clear polycarbonate and standard plastic, Transitions polycarbonate gray and brown, and SunRx polarized polycarbonate gray and melanin brown.
---Compiled by Seth J. Bookey
Volume Number: 19:14 Issue: 12/19/2005
As the short-corridor product category has matured, just about every lens manufacturer has a short-corridor product in its line-up. Last year, VM presented “Who’s Who in Short-Corridor PALs” (Dec. 18, 2004, page 29). This year, some new short-corridor lenses have entered the market, while established product lines have added new options.
Carl Zeiss Optical
Zeiss introduced the short-corridor Brevity lens, with 16-mm fitting heights, available in 1.50 and 1.67 high-index plastic. This year, the company now boasts a full range of powers covered by the Brevity brand, and has added 1.67 high-index and Transitions materials.
The company, which merged with SOLA Optical, also offers the AO Compact, the original short-corridor lens, with a full range of add powers. The SOLAOne features an 18-mm fitting height that works in smaller frames.
Essilor
The Varilux Ellipse, introduced a year ago, features a minimum 14-mm fitting height with a wide field of vision, in standard plastic, 1.56 high index, and polycarbonate. Recently, the company added 1.67 high-index and Transitions photochromic materials to the brand.
Essilor also offers the Nikon Presio i13, which offers wide near vision with a short progression.
Essilor also acquired the Definity PAL line from the Spectacle Lens Group of Johnson & Johnson Visions care. The Definity short-corridor product, with fitting heights as low as 16 mm, features “groundview technology” that helps wearers recognize stairs and other ground-level objects more clearly. The Definity also offers patients Essilor’s only polarized short-corridor option.
Excelite
The company’s X-PRO Minuo features a fitting height of 16-mm fitting height and is available in standard plastic, 1.50, 1.60 high-index Abbe 42, and Trivex materials. The lens, available only through wholesale optical labs and buying groups, features a reading area of 4.5 mm.
Hoya Vision Care
The Summit cd short-corridor, with a 14-mm fitting height and an 11-mm corridor, is available in Hoya Phoenix (Trivex) and Hoya Transitions, as well as in 1.50 Hilux, 1.60 Eyas high-index, and 1.70Evy ultra-high-index materials.
INDO Lens US
The Micra short-corridor features a 16-mm fitting height, but Indo claims that for low add powers (2.00 D and below, a short 14-mm fitting height can be used. Micra uses the company's proprietary hard-resin Superfin material, available in base curves 4.00 through 7.00 with a -6 back curve.
Optima
The 14-mm Resolution Response was introduced in January, featuring Vue Point technology, which balances the optics over the entire surface of the lens, according to the company. The birefringence-free polycarbonate PALs are impact-resistant and feature 100 percent ultraviolet protection. The company recently introduced Resolution Response with Transitions V photochromic material.
Polycore Optical USA
The Micro Progressive features a 16-mm fitting height and an aspheric soft design. Initially available in semi-finished mid-index 1.56 SunSensors Gray and Brown, this year, the company added lens options in standard plastic and LiteAire polycarbonate.
Seiko Optical Products of America
The company has recently introduced the Proceed III Super Short, with a fitting height of 16 mm and a corridor length of 12 mm. It is available hardcoated, uncoated, and in Transitions gray and brown, and the company said it is an ideal lens for drilling.
Seiko also offers a “retina forward design” in the Pentax AF mini, with a corridor length of 14 mm and a minimum fitting height of 17 mm. The AF mini comes in 1.50 index, 1.60 and 1.67 high-index materials; the DiamondClear is a 1.59 polycarbonate lens.
Shamir Insight
The Piccolo lens from Shamir Insight deˇbuted in 1999 and is currently available in plastic, high-index 1.60, next-generation Transitions, and glass. This year, the company added 1.67 and 1.67 with Transitions to its Piccolo brand. Also available is Piccolo with Attitude, for sports users.
Signet Armorlite
The Kodak Concise, which debuted in late 2000 with a 14-mm corridor and a 17-mm fitting height in a soft design, was initially available in semi-finished 74-mm hard-resin scratch-resistant lenses; it is also now available in plain standard resin, and with scratch resistant coating, and in PolyClear, 1.56 and 1.60 EvoClear, 1.67 high-index, and Corning SunSensors mid-index and InstaShades gray and brown 1.56 EvoClear photochromic materials.
This year, Signet Armorlite added Trivex and photochromic InstaShades in 1.56, and 1.66; it will add polycarbonate in 2006.
Tokai Optical
This Japanese lens manufacturer entered the U.S. market in 2004 with its 1.70 ultra-high-index lenses, which are available in 13-mm and 15-mm corridor heights. The 13-mm lens is also known as the Beluno Deseo, and is only available frome wholesale labs.
Vision-Ease Lens
The Illumina lens was launched this year, featuring a 17-mm fitting height and an ultra-wide reading area. The lens is available in clear polycarbonate and standard plastic, Transitions polycarbonate gray and brown, and SunRx polarized polycarbonate gray and melanin brown.
---Compiled by Seth J. Bookey
Volume Number: 19:14 Issue: 12/19/2005
Posted: Mon - December 19, 2005 at 01:27 AM
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