2019 got off to a busy start at Shamir with its new Autograph Intelligence progressive, launched in the UK just two weeks into the New Year.
‘It’s a progressive lens with a really soft design,’ says Rachel de Lacy, sales and marketing coordinator at Shamir UK. ‘This means it’s really easy to switch your vision zones. The major innovation is that this lens is based on research showing that visual needs change with visual age, so it introduces a continuum of changes to the lens design for each visual age.’
The name Intelligence is a nod to the in depth research conducted by Shamir during the development phase of the product. Over five million prescriptions were analysed, yielding the key take away was there are relatively few prescriptions for progressive lenses with very high or very low additions. The company investigated this distribution via consumer research including 1,300 respondents to an extensive questionnaire and in depth interviews with 130 people.
The research allowed Shamir to map the average hours per week presbyopes spend using different vision zones (near, digital reading, intermediate, switch distances frequently and far) at various visual ages (which is a term the company uses for Rx additions). For example, average 40 to 50-year-old presbyopes generally involve more visual zone switching than average 70 to 80-year-old presbyopes.
Developed to meet the needs identified in the research, Intelligence varies the emphasis on the vision zones accordingly to match patients and is available in 12 different designs for presbyopes ranging from +0.75 to +3.50. Lifestyle is also taken into account when assessing the visual age of a patient.
The new Shamir lens aims to provide for people across different visual ages
The lens benefits specifically from several Shamir technologies, including IntelliCorridor, As-Worn Quadro, Natural Posture and Close-Up, previously used in the Autograph line of products as well as multiple new ones. Most significantly Eye-Point Technology AI uses bespoke software to track the actual areas used by lens patients along vertical and horizontal meridians in the different zones, negating the need for simulations.
Support materials for Intelligence include a comprehensive booklet for ECPs with fitting heights, necessary patient information and sales tips. There is also a shorter leaflet for patients featuring simplified language and messages.
‘I think it is really important to be able to distil the information surrounding the lenses into just those two pages of plain language,’ comments de Lacy. ‘Intelligence is a simple product in essence – one lens in 12 different designs – and I think it will help people understand what they are wearing and value the visual benefits.’