The 2023 edition of 100% Optical, held February 25-27 at Excel London, included a slew of product launches and other activities from companies in the lens sector. Hoya celebrated the second anniversary of its myopia management lens, Miyosmart, at the show and previewed two products that fit within a new Miyosmart Sun category.
Miyosmart Chameleon is a photochromic spectacle lens that offers the same defocus incorporate multiple segments (DIMS) technology as the original Miyosmart lens in order to slow down myopia progression in children. April 24 is the UK launch date for Miyosmart Chameleon. Meanwhile, Miyosmart Sunbird, which will have its UK launch in June, utilises DIMS technology in a polarised sun lens.
‘The idea behind these new products is to encourage children to spend time outdoors,’ said Martin Batho, managing director of Hoya Lens UK. ‘The products will help slow myopia progression but also provide protection from intense sunlight and encourage them to go outside, which is also very helpful in slowing myopia.’
Hoya was also promoting Sensity Fast, a new addition to its existing range of photochromic lenses, which will be launched into the UK on April 17.
‘The Sensity family now includes Sensity 2, Sensity Dark, Sensity Shine and Sensity Fast,’ said Batho. ‘The feedback we’ve had from patients is that they tend to find all photochromics a bit slow in terms of fade-back time. So, if they’re going from outdoors to indoors, there’s some level of frustration that the lenses take a little while to fade back. Sensity Fast addresses this by offering a significantly faster fade-back time. I think it is very well-suited to people with an active lifestyle who are on the move between indoors and outdoors for much of the day.’
Children’s focus
Rodenstock presented its new myopia spectacle lens, MyCon, at 100% Optical. The product has now launched across Europe and the UK.
‘MyCon is a big key focus for us this year,’ said ‘Andrew Copley, product manager at Rodenstock. ‘This product is a response to children focusing on what is directly in front of them, often digital device screens, rather than spending time outdoors, and, consequently, myopia levels are rising sharply. MyCon lenses are designed to correct myopia and ensure sharp vision, while controlling myopia progression in children.’
Copley explained that with the MyCon lens, light in the periphery is refracted to hit in front of the retina, slowing eye elongation, a crucial aspect of maintaining children’s vision.
‘That’s why the progression control areas in MyCon lenses are placed to the sides of the lens and ensure that light in the periphery does not hit behind the retina. Here, they slow myopia progression or eye elongation, while leaving the main vision zones of the lens undisturbed, creating sharp vision. The focus area in the lens ensures that the child can see sharply wherever they focus their eyes,’ he noted.
Backing up the lens, an independent clinical study examining myopia progression in Caucasian children aged seven to 14 years over a period of five years found myopia control lenses, built on the principles of Rodenstock MyCon, are effective in reducing the progression of myopia by up to 40%. Allowing for sleek aesthetics, MyCon is available in 1.5, 1.6, 1.67 and 1.74 index.
Gaming vision
Jai Kudo Lenses, part of the Millmead Optical Group, launched its XP Pro Gaming Lens at the show. The product is an anti-fatigue lens designed specifically to help video gamers play for longer in greater comfort and enhance the accuracy and recognition of fast-moving objects to aid playing performance.
‘XP Pro Gaming Lens is available in prescription and non-prescription,’ said Shaun Bace, national key account manager at Jai Kudo Lenses. ‘The lens has a unique new anti-fatigue design that we’ve been working on for two years. Combining the design with a specific yellow tone of tint improves the transmittance and the contrast of what you’re seeing on the screen to improve
picture reaction times. The lens has a honeycomb coating as standard that allows for optimum clarity and controlled light scatter, with reduced glare and eye fatigue.’
The lens comes with UV420 protection as standard, and each lens has an 0.50 add to reduce stress on the eyes while gaming.
‘We’ve been trialing the lens with selected clients since September 2022 and the feedback has been massively positive,’ said Bace. ‘It gives independent practices a huge opportunity to provide patients who play video games with a second pair of frames.’
Independent leverage
Seiko stepped up its presence at 100% Optical this year with a large stand designed to help the company expand its customer base in the UK.
‘Seiko is a big brand, a brand truly known by consumers, and our focus is the independent sector,’ said Jonathan Cohen, commercial manager at Seiko Vision UK. ‘Our main goal here is to convey the brand and the quality it stands for to those independents that are looking for an alternative business partner. We believe that any independent can leverage the Seiko brand to add value to their practice.
‘We are super confident of our quality of product, the quality of our services, the quality of the team, especially our customer service team. We know what we can do and are doing very well with around 250 customers in the UK now. So, for us, it’s about keeping our strengths while we look to benefit more practices.’
Ethereal flagship
Rx Lens Direct was exhibiting at the Excel, promoting its flagship range of Ethereal lenses among other lens products and
services.
‘We are based in London with primary production in Shanghai, China, and a secondary facility in Europe,’ said Patrick Delaney, managing director at Rx Lens Direct. ‘I think our portfolio stands up very well and we’ve had a great show in terms of business generated. Ethereal is our top of the range progressive that benefits from freeform technology that allows for front and back surfacing of the lens. Across the rest of the portfolio, we have lenses and coatings for every patient.
‘There are very few bad lenses on the market today, product quality is almost a given at this stage. We do differentiate in that we offer what I think is a more personal service. We will talk on the phone any time and give the benefit of our manufacturing experience.’