first person

five Questions for…

George Kim has been named the new president of Leybold Optics USA. His career there began in 1996 working in the field service group, customer service and management, then vice president of operations and now president of the North Carolinabased, wholly-owned subsidiary of Leybold Optics GmbH, a leading provider of AR equipment, technology, and support worldwide.

We tapped his AR expertise on the market today and in the future.

EB How will AR production change in the near future?

DC Even higher quality AR, with a continuing trend of AR equipment manufacturers toward increasing the quality of e-features such as scratch-resistance, but without the negative impact on costs throughout.

EB Why haven't U.S. ECPs and consumers embraced AR as much as the overseas market?

DC Some data suggests that the U.S. is behind as much as 20 to 60 percent compared to regions like Europe and Asia. Such a large disparity comes down to ECP dispensing habits, which results in lower patient awareness and/or acceptance of AR benefits.

Addressing these two areas can have the biggest impact on increasing AR usage. The Vision Council's efforts to work with optometry schools by incorporating AR into the curriculum will reap long-term benefits and create ECPs who dispense AR naturally.

EB What are the ECP-friendly features of your equipment?

DC We maintain focus on manufacturing equipment that delivers high quality AR. When labs use our equipment to produce AR, the ECP will be able to dispense premium product without fear of coating failure. Our equipment is engineered to tight tolerances, ensuring high quality in the finished product.

EB How will ECPs get into in-house AR production?

DC As most new markets in this industry, it will likely be led by big-box optical retailers. High-density metropolitan areas will benefit from such AR production.

The ability to produce on a smallcapacity level with low cost structure to a high density of potential customers is an attractive environment. The challenge is marrying the technology to make such AR production with a low cost structure, which requires further development.

EB Do you see a technology crossover between optical and non-optical companies?

DC A current example of industry crossover is the latest 3D televisions. Passive 3D glasses are making their way into mainstream use. The potential for this technology to find mass appeal in the Rx realm is possible. Just imagine every flat screen TV eventually being able to show 3D programming. EB