{SPECTACLE LENSES}

Blue Zero Expands

Shamir Insight, Inc., has expanded material availability of its blue light lens treatment, Shamir Blue Zero, to include polycarbonate. Shamir launched Blue Zero in Trivex and SuperLite 1.67 materials in June. With the release of the design in poly, Blue Zero is now available across Shamir’s full line of freeform lens designs.

Shamir Blue Zero is a nearly clear lens that offers built-in protection from HEV blue light (98% in the 415nm-435nm range). The treatment reduces eye strain, improves contrast, and provides 100% UV protection while maintaining true color vision, according to Shamir.

INFO: 877-514-8330, shamir.com

{FURNITURE + DISPLAYS}

Design Solutions

Eye Designs, LLC, announces the release of a new full-line catalog for its custom ophthalmic environments and optical display systems. In addition to product, it includes project-specific information that walks ECPs step-by-step through the process of designing or redesigning their space.

New to this year’s catalog is information on Intelligent Retail Integrated Solutions, technology-based Experience Centers that integrate social media and the web into store designs. Also included are new furniture lines and accessories, including frame risers, frame trays, and messaging blocks—all designed for style and functionality.

INFO: 800-346-8890, info@eyedesigns.com, eyedesigns.com

{TOOLS}

Help for Opticians’ Aching Thumbs

Opticians know that adjusting frames can be a real hassle, especially with tough frame materials or designs that restrict hand strength. The Bionic Thumb is a tool that helps alleviate the stress placed on the hand, while allowing the manipulation necessary to make precise adjustments.

Invented by Bruce Rubin, the Bionic Thumb is now distributed by Hilco Vision under its Optical Solutions product portfolio.

INFO: 800-955-6544, hilcovision.com

{DISPENSING TOOLS}

Help in Styling Lenses

Transitions Optical has created three downloadable tools to help ECPs find the style in lenses and merchandise their office space to better display eyewear options to patients.

Lens Style Guide: Authored by Transitions Change Agents Sheena Taff and Darryl Glover, O.D., the guide gives ECPs a step-by-step look at how to talk to patients about the latest trends in eyewear, how to pair frames and lenses, and how to display eyewear in their practice.

Style Handout: This tool provides a shortened version of the Lens Style Guide to give ECPs the basics for creating a stylish practice.

Style Brainshark: Taff gives an overview of her ABO style course that covers the latest trends in eyewear fashion and offers tips on creating a practice that emphasizes the stylish aspect of not just frames, but lenses too.

In addition, Transitions has a library of social media posts regarding lens and eyewear style that ECPs can share on their practice accounts.

The materials also provide information on how to style Transitions lenses, including frame and lens combinations and color matching, to help ECPs when prescribing Transitions lenses to style-conscious patients.

INFO: transitionsPRO.com/style

{EQUIPMENT}

Two-In-One

Coburn Technologies is now distributing a new autorefractor/keratometer, the HRK-1, manufactured by Huvitz Co., Ltd.

To provide more options for ECPs, Coburn has adapted the method of refraction with the HRK-1 to a ring signal, as opposed to the well-known multifocal wavefront technology. With this, a rotating ring sensor gives the user an almost infinite number of measuring points, producing the best average of spherical, cylinder, and axis values. The HRK-1 comes with a Y-axis autotracking function, which automatically determines the height of the patient’s eyes and reduces the measurement time.

INFO: 800-COBURN-1, coburntechnologies.com

{EQUIPMENT}

Edging Made Easy

MEI has launched a new generation of its EzFit all-in-one edger that features an easy inspection and loading system. The new EzFit TBA is designed for higher-volume optical retailers and small labs.

The TBA (Throw the Block Away) technology allows the user to control the power and cut without the use of centering blocks. Thanks to an integrated lens loading system that combines inspection, orientation, and loading into a single internal process, there is no longer a need for centering blocks. The TBA unit significantly reduces production costs and increases the accuracy of lens centering.

INFO: meisystem.com