Dispensing Photochromic Lenses Transitions Optical Introduced and Commercialized Plastic Photochromic Lenses in 1991
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Dispensing Photochromic Lenses Transitions Optical introduced and commercialized plastic photochromic lenses in 1991. Through its Laurie Pierce, LDO, ABOM patented imbibing process, photochromic dye was applied to the front surface of the lens and then From café variables to photochromics … we’ve processed so that it penetrated into the plastic. This new come a long way (baby). Once used for the technology opened the doors for plastic photochromic practical purposes of one pair only, today’s lenses, as the speed of the darkening/lightening process variable tinted lenses fit in with lifestyle dispensing was improved, and the lenses became darker than the and multiple pairs. Who wouldn’t want eyewear early plastic photochromics. Throughout the 1990s and that provides both practical function and fashion today, additional optical companies have introduced fun? Because of current technologies available to plastic photochromic lenses. These include clear, us, our clients can have a clear-to-gray/brown sunwear and fun color options, e.g., pink to purple and option for comfort and protection and pink-to- blue to green. purple lenses for style on the go. This improved photochromic technology enhances vision. But how do we get this good news to the The first photochromics were introduced in the mid general public? Sometimes our clientele resists 1960s with the invention of purchasing changeable plastic lenses Corning’s PhotoGray lenses. because they remember early technology This was a major breakthrough Today’s photochromic that did not work as well. This could in lens technology and gained technology increases lead to making decisions in regard to popularity very quickly. My first their visual comfort based on old introduction to photochromic visual comfort as well information. It is our job to educate them lenses was in the late 1970s, as contrast sensitivity, in technological advancements and to let them know what is available today. available in a glass material only. which is good news for society as well as the To begin, we’ll do an overview of At that time, it was the optical industry. today’s photochromic technology. How mainstream photochromic do photochromics work? We know that material used and worked well ultraviolet light changes the lens from overall. As we began shifting our light to dark. Specifically, UV radiation choice in lens material from glass to plastic, of wavelengths between 300 and 400 nanometers however, the percentage of photochromics darkens the lens, and the absence of UV (under 300 nm) dispensed started to decline. There was a market lightens the lens. The process by which they change for plastic photochromic lenses, but the technology depends on the material and the technology. had not been developed yet. Many clients remained in glass lenses longer and resisted CR-39 plastic Glass, for example, is made in molten state, with silver simply because they wanted to keep their halide crystal added to the mix. That is, in its heated liquid form, the crystals are added, yielding a uniform photochromic lenses, and, early on, CR-39 density throughout the material. The problem, however, photochromics had some major pitfalls. is that high plus and high minus lenses will show a bull’s eye or raccoon effect because of the thickness and Rodenstock first introduced plastic photochromic density of the lens in certain areas. The thicker part of lenses to the U.S. market in the early 1980s. They the lens will be darker, while the thinner part of the lens were called “Jewel Tones” and were bright pink, will remain relatively light in color. This is because plus purple, green and blue. Although they were lenses are thicker centrally, and minus lenses are thicker attractive in color tone, they did not fulfill the at the edges, peripherally. requirements of a sun lens nor did they capture the market. While we desired the lightweight comfort Early plastic photochromics were made using molecular photons through a process known as of plastic photochromics, we needed the function indolinospironaphthoxazine (ISN). When the ISN and protection of a full sun lens. Evidently we were molecule absorbs UV light, its bond breaks and half of not quite ready for the fashion and fun of it rotates, creating a new form in which visible light is changeable café tints. absorbed. Then, in the absence of UV (i.e., lower light Copyright Professional Opticians of Florida Online Education POFce.org page 1 of 4 levels), the molecules return to their original state, and UV light is reaching the front surface of the lens. If the the lens fades back to clear. wearer is looking up at the sun, for example, more UV will reach the lens than if the wearer is looking parallel Today’s plastic photochromic lenses are created to the ground. When we compare products, it is through processes known as imbibition and in-mass important to think of all of the factors under which the technology. lenses will be worn. Let’s examine each factor individually. Solar Radiation and Thermal Energy Ultraviolet light (wavelengths between 300 and 400 nm) will cause a photochromic lens to darken. The amount of darkening of a photochromic material is partially dependent on temperature. That is, the lens will darken more in cold temperatures than in hot. Darkening will occur far more quickly under a clear blue sky than in overcast conditions or inside a car. So, in essence, the lens will be its darkest on cold, bright days. The type of radiation that activates the change to a dark color is within the UVA and blue region of the With imbibition, the photochromic compounds are visible spectrum. A condition where there is a large driven into the front surface of the lens. Unlike a thin amount of UVA waveband is at high altitudes. coating that can be scratched off, the photochromics are permanently embedded into the lens surface. Because The lens will get darker in higher altitudes. A bright, the photochromic compounds become part of the lens, sunny winter day skiing on a mountain in very cold the color will be uniform in density. The key is that the temperatures will yield the darkest lens possible. Solar layer that causes the color change is uniform as well. radiation will also vary with time of day, with the We are now able to get darker results because of the highest amount of UV light at high noon. Many depth and thickness of the layer. For example, photochromic lenses block 100% UVA and UVB imbibition is 50 times deeper than a scratch resistant radiation in the clear and darkened states, adding to the coating. protection of the eye. In-mass technology is similar to the manufacturing Lens Thickness/History of Previous Cycles techniques used for glass, but with monomer, plastic in its liquid form. In this case, photochromic molecules are The thickness of the lens makes a difference in glass distributed throughout the material, rather than only on photochromics and in plastics using in-mass technology the surface of the lens. While this technology is fine for for processing. The thicker the lens, the greater the low prescriptions, the bull’s eye and raccoon effect may density of the photochromic compound in the material. result with higher powered prescriptions. Similar to mixing crystal halide crystals in molten glass, in the While glass photochromics darken more with continued case of plastic, the photochromic compounds are mixed use, they don’t fade back after a while and leave the into the monomer. The mixture is then poured into the wearer with a permanent indoor tint. Plastic mold, and the lens is processed and cured. The same photochromics have a lifespan that varies with use. In density/lens thickness factors that exist for glass lenses the case of the plastics, the more the lens is exposed to will apply here as well. UV light, the faster it will “wear out,” shortening the lifetime of the photochromic performance. Factors That Affect the Amount of Color Change in Photochromics Certainly, the changeability should last the life of a normal prescription cycle. The Transitions lens boasts a Various factors affect photochromic lens performance. lifespan of 2-½ years for its lens—and then it’s not that They include solar radiation and thermal energy, it stops working, it just won’t get as dark. latitude, altitude, season and time of day. Also, the orientation of the lens will affect how much available Copyright Professional Opticians of Florida Online Education POFce.org page 2 of 4 Photochromic Lenses and Glare Features and Benefits of Today’s Photochromic Lenses Many people suffer from uncomfortable vision due to excessive glare. Strictly defined, glare is the loss of A great way to explain optical options to our visual performance or visibility produced by a clients is by creating a Features and Benefits list, or luminance in the visual field greater than the FAB list: illuminance to which the eyes are adapted. That is, FEATURE BENEFIT visual acuity and comfort are sacrificed because of glaring conditions of light in the visual field. Offer comfort in various Darken in bright light and lighting conditions, Glare has more than a dozen categories and definitions lighten in low light providing protection for in lighting engineering, but there are just four we need photophobic patients to know about for eyeglasses and eyesight. The source of the light as well as its intensity define glare. Protection from UV light (a Provide 100% UV leading risk factor in o Distracting Glare - A minor annoyance caused protection cataract development & by lens surface reflections that lead to eye fatigue. macular degeneration) o Discomforting glare is glare at a level of annoyance or inconvenience that causes squinting Contain photosensitive Provide uniform tint and or eye fatigue.