Lenses

A lens is a lens is a lens, right? Sorry, no. Most of the world's lens companies spend millions of dollars in research and development in devising the best lens for each prescription. Why?

Before the mid-1980's, the choices of lenses involved choices of material - glass or plastic. Polycarbonate, lighter to wear and more impact resistant than plastic (which is more impact resistant than glass), was not used often as the surface scratched quickly and it required different machines to cut it. Glass came in clear or photochromatic, and could be hardened to make it more impact resistant, which could be used for safety lenses.

High index glass, which gave a thinner lens for the same prescription, started to become popular in the 1980's, but it could not be hardened or made photochromatic.

The next development was photochromatic plastic lenses (late 1980's). Rodenstock produced aqua, blue and pink, but it wasn't until Transitions released their first generation product that the market really took off. Transitions is selling Generation 6 now.

Polycarbonate lenses have been improved so they scratch less, and they also can be produced in photochromatic materials now. As a thinner, harder, lighter lens option, they are the only lens we recommend for children and rimless frames, but are a great choice for everyone.


The first bifocal lens was devised by Benjamin Franklin in the 18th century. He simply cut his reading script and his distance script in half horizontally, and cemented them together. Later designs had smaller reading areas, often a circle or a half circle, which were less obvious to the wearer as well as people looking at her.

In 1959, Essilor produced Varilux, and Varilux 2 followed in 1964. Progressive addition lenses had arrived! The distance script blended into the reading script, but the reading area was quite small, and there was considerable distortion that the wearer would notice when she moved her head, or even as she scanned a page of text.

Research and development dollars have been poured into improving progessives - increasing the size of the near portion, making the distortions less and making the vertical distance between the distance and reading scripts closer (to use in smaller frames. Not all progressives are created the same!

Essilor has invested over $10million NZ into its technology centre in Auckland, so it can produce state-of-the-art lenses "Kiwi-made". It is world-class, and can grind and coat most prescriptions without the spectacles having to go off-shore.

Visique Kapiti Eyecare is proud to use Essilor lenses as they are made in NZ, and made by a company that has a track record of innovations and provising the very best designs. Physio 360 lenses involved 7 new patents, the design was that innovative.

As a patient, you will just see "better", "more comfortably", "like with my own eyes again".

Some other comapnies are using generic lenses or older designs - many still work well, but most of us prefer to drive a car with airbags and ABS if we can afford it. Lenses are the same - the technology costs a lot initially. Unfortunatley, economic reality means that as new designs become available, older designs and materials become scare or not available at all. Glass, for example, is not fitted by Essilor in NZ or Australia at all, and its delivery times have become unacceptable, so we do not supply it to our patients any more. If a low-cost option is more appropriate for you, don't hesitate to tell us, but I'm sure you would like to know what is on offer before choosing 19th or 20th centtury technology in 2010 or later!

Diabetes and the Eyes

Unfortunately, the most common cause of blindness in working-age people is diabetic eye disease. If you are diabetic, and the evidence is that only half the number of NZers with the condition have been diagnosed, the longer you have had the condition and the poorer the control of your blood glucose increase your risks of diabetic eye disease.

Diabetes is a disease where too much glucose in the blood damages the tiny capillaries all throughout the body, and they leak. Capillary damage in the kidneys leads to renal failure, and in the eyes leads to blindness, from damage due to bleeding, the lack of good supply to the seeing cells and from scarring and fibrosis from the bleeds.

In many regions in NZ, once a person has been diagnosed with diabetes, she is referred to an optometrist who has a contract from the local DHB for a diabetic fundus examination. (The fundus is the back of the eye). The pupils are dilated with eye drops, and either photographs are taken or the clinician looks with special lenses to check for signs of diabetic eye disease. These changes are some typical-looking bleeds or leaks of fluid.

If there are any changes, the person will be monitored or referred for laser treatment (to stop the leaks). In many cases, the eyes look healthy and the person is monitored - usually at 2-yearly intervals.

These diabetic exams are separate from your normal exam with your local optometrist. They do not check the prescription, and might detect other eye conditions (like cataracts) but do not always detect these. For example, often the photographs taken have to over-expose the optic nerves so any vessel leaks can be detected, but this means that glaucoma damage cannot be always be seen. So it is important to continue to have your "normal" examinations.

Diabetes is a nasty disease. Don't let it blind you or your loved ones.