Blog vol 4.38. Now that is “progressive”!
You have to admit that the gurus of “Madison Avenue” in New York City know what they are doing. As Juliet so aptly asked in Act 2 of Romeo and Juliet, “What's in a name? That which we call a rose, by any other name would smell just as sweet.” So when some very bright marketer came up with the name, “progressive”, to describe multifocal spectacle lenses, they struck gold.
Since 1959, the optical industry has been working with “invisible” bifocals. Before that time, (actually, it started in the 1700s with Ben Franklin) we had lined bifocals, which had either a straight line right across, or half-way across the lens, or a round line in the inside corner of each eye. The magic happened when lens makers were able to get rid of the unsightly line.
This is what is called a “progressive” lens: a multifocal lens with no visible lines. From an observer’s point of view, the lens is clear and one piece. The appeal of this is obvious to anyone 40ish and older. Needing a bifocal is often one of the first signs of aging. Now no one needs to know. Sign me up!
In the 1990’s computer numerically-controlled cutting was regularly used in the optics industry. Before this all spectacle lenses were made with a set curve, a base-curve, on the front surface, and the optics were ground onto the back. Advances in software and cutting tools made it possible to cut the lens on the front and back surfaces, allowing for more custom designs of progressives. The Free-form lens was invented.
By 2000, Zeiss and Rodenstock out of Germany launched their versions of Free-form progressives, which made it easier for people to adapt to the optics and to take advantage of the wider zones for viewing. Nikon of Japan has developed software that measures a person’s sensitivity to different designs of progressives, making the lens custom for each person.
For example, there are “soft” and “hard” designs, and each person will work better with one of these. The “soft“ design spreads out the unwanted zones of the lens, giving you wider areas but taking away a bit of clarity, whereas the “hard” designs will give up some zone coverage for enhanced clarity. The algorithms that Nikon developed can tell what design works best for a person and then program this into the CNC cutters.
For the past 3-4 years, we have had great success with Nikon’s “Ultimate” progressive. We have been working closely with Nikon for some years, with their cutting-edge technology, and research and development, and our desire to meet and even exceed the visual needs of our patients, we have found the perfect mix. What is really cool is that Nikon is not stopping there. The past month I have been trying out two new designs for progressives, randomly selected and unknown to me, finishing the month with a questionnaire about my experience, some beta testing for new product.
I am glad that they are always pushing the envelope because our patients have come to expect the best and the latest in prescription eyewear. No doubt there will be a new and improved version of progressive from Nikon in the near future. I am really wondering about its new name — that will be really interesting. Just like with the Avengers “End Game” in the Marvel Universe, where do you go from having the “Ultimate progressive”?
Til next week,
The good doctor
