BBGR claims to have developed the first progressive lens that takes into account the shape of the eye, with the launch of the Anateo and Anateo PdM lenses on January 1.
Professional relations manager Elaine Grisdale said, at an event in Edinburgh this week, that the starting point for the development of the lens was to accept that perceived vision was the result of light falling on the retina. To understand this, the physiology of the eye had to be taken into account.
She said the relationship between lengthened eyes and myopia was well known. Anateo takes that information to adapt the design of the progession zones.
The key to the design is the effect axial length, centre of rotation and corneal curvature have on vision. These values had been calculated and used to widen the field of vision for myopes and soften the peripheral areas of aberration for hyperopes, she said.
All of the values can be determined from the prescription and no additional measurements are required.
The PdM version of the lens is used in situations where the fit of the frame pushes back vertex distance, tilt and wrap angles to the extreme. BBGR has developed a simple tool to take all of these measurements.
In trials among 110 wearers, 66 per cent of myopes and 60 per cent of hyperopes preferred the lens, which will be about half the cost of some other individualised progressives.
Patients have been 'brainwashed' into adapting to lenses, said Grisdale.