Results 1 to 12 of 12

Thread: free form tech!!

  1. #1
    Rising Star mauroventura's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2005
    Location
    Italia
    Occupation
    Optical Laboratory Technician
    Posts
    77

    free form tech!!

    Dear Optiboarders,
    I'am reading any kind of information about the so called free-form technology and the possibility to build optical complex surfaces in order to obtain several improvements about the the thicknesses and optical defects of opthalmic lenses.
    But , my real question is :
    Does it needs the final user this kinds of improvements ?
    I read the very interesting articles of Darryl Meister concerning this argument, and it seems that big companies such as Essilor, Zeiss , Hoya look to this new way of the optical techonolgy as the future to warrant to final user to real customize his lenses .
    But , my real second question is :
    how is possible to be sure to build a real customized optical complex surface ( such as a PAL with internal geometry) when this Complex surface is edged and fixed on a non complex frames and this frames are wear from the users in a noo complex head surface?
    The sound of this Free form technology is :
    I want to build a Ferrari car using tires of
    bicycle.

    Mauro

  2. #2
    Master OptiBoarder OptiBoard Silver Supporter Jubilee's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2001
    Location
    United States
    Occupation
    Dispensing Optician
    Posts
    3,197
    There is a lot of great possibilities in true free form technology.

    By utilizing a digitally surfaced lens, a great lens design can be made to the highest degree of accuracy compared to conventional technologies. This can mean easier adaption rates for patients, and the ability to optimize designs (insets, corridor length, etc) based upon rx and frame dimensions all the more.

    Currently the technology is focusing on PALs. Though I believe that in the years to come we will see this type of surfacing take off to all types of materials, and a greater complexity of styles in general... free form slab off anyone?

    Cassandra
    "Some believe in destiny, and some believe in fate. But I believe that happiness is something we create."-Something More by Sugarland

  3. #3
    Master OptiBoarder
    Join Date
    Oct 2004
    Location
    Down in a hole!
    Occupation
    Dispensing Optician
    Posts
    13,078
    It really does get one thinking. We have a nation of cookie cutter "opticians" who have the mentality of a roadkill possum. These folks can't tell the difference between night and day, yet are we to expect them to sell and dispense these new technologies with any degree of accuracy. Sure the lens may be the best, most accurate lens for this patient, but the frame is too big, slips down, got twisted in the edger, and is fit too low because the dispenser did not take into consideration the effects of parallax error when taking measurements.

    It will be very interesting to see how all this technology takes hold and grows!

  4. #4
    Master OptiBoarder OptiBoard Silver Supporter Jubilee's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2001
    Location
    United States
    Occupation
    Dispensing Optician
    Posts
    3,197
    Of course, having a more precise rendering of a design, can apply a bit of "forgiveness factor" into the lens. While it may not provide the highest level of optimal correction, the fact that it provides a higher level than conventionally processed designs can still mean a higher success rate by eliminating some (not all) of the problems associated with inaccurate measurements and adjustments.

    Cassandra
    "Some believe in destiny, and some believe in fate. But I believe that happiness is something we create."-Something More by Sugarland

  5. #5
    Master OptiBoarder
    Join Date
    Apr 2006
    Location
    NA
    Occupation
    Dispensing Optician
    Posts
    1,255
    I have found that the P360 is by far the MOST UNFORGIVING to fit, dispense, and adjust. 80% of those I've sold have been remade (usually into a physio). I'm not impressed.

  6. #6
    Allen Weatherby
    Join Date
    Jun 2004
    Location
    Florida
    Occupation
    Other Optical Manufacturer or Vendor
    Posts
    1,286

    Physio 360???

    EyeFitWell said:
    I have found that the P360 is by far the MOST UNFORGIVING to fit, dispense, and adjust. 80% of those I've sold have been remade (usually into a physio). I'm not impressed.
    I think the Physion 360 uses the front PAL design of the standard Physio with a use of digital surfacing to try to minimize some of the abberations associated with spherical back curves. I don't think it is as individualized as a lens can be.

  7. #7
    Allen Weatherby
    Join Date
    Jun 2004
    Location
    Florida
    Occupation
    Other Optical Manufacturer or Vendor
    Posts
    1,286

    Slab Off

    Jubilee said:
    Currently the technology is focusing on PALs. Though I believe that in the years to come we will see this type of surfacing take off to all types of materials, and a greater complexity of styles in general... free form slab off anyone?
    We have digitally surfaced slab off technology at ICE-TECH.

  8. #8
    Underemployed Genius Jacqui's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2003
    Location
    Frostbite Falls, Mn.
    Occupation
    Optical Wholesale Lab (other positions)
    Posts
    7,417
    Quote Originally Posted by Jubilee View Post
    Currently the technology is focusing on PALs. Though I believe that in the years to come we will see this type of surfacing take off to all types of materials, and a greater complexity of styles in general... free form slab off anyone?
    We've been selling freeform slabs for about 3 years now.

  9. #9
    Rising Star mauroventura's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2005
    Location
    Italia
    Occupation
    Optical Laboratory Technician
    Posts
    77
    Quote Originally Posted by Jubilee View Post
    There is a lot of great possibilities in true free form technology.

    By utilizing a digitally surfaced lens, a great lens design can be made to the highest degree of accuracy compared to conventional technologies. This can mean easier adaption rates for patients, and the ability to optimize designs (insets, corridor length, etc) based upon rx and frame dimensions all the more.

    Currently the technology is focusing on PALs. Though I believe that in the years to come we will see this type of surfacing take off to all types of materials, and a greater complexity of styles in general... free form slab off anyone?

    Cassandra
    Thank U very much for your reply!

    As you know , I'm not an optician .

    So , if I have understand well this kind of surf. tech. is oriented to give the final user its personal opthalmic lenses very customized and correctly installed in frames.
    So , in this case we tends to reduce any kind of effort about the user'eyes to adapt at the new lenses .
    Is this a correct approach for Human sight system physiology, generally speaking ??
    (I mean less adaptation efforts it's equal to increase of the original eye problem!).



    thanks.

    Mauro

  10. #10
    Master OptiBoarder OptiBoard Silver Supporter rdcoach5's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2006
    Location
    Rossford, Ohio
    Occupation
    Dispensing Optician
    Posts
    1,604
    I have dispensed maybe 2 dozen of thr Physio 360s and have gotten wow responses from from all of them. I don't dispense them unless the P.D. is right on and the fitting lines are dead straight. But really, all PALs should be fit this way. If your local lab is not cutting them accurately, that's the problem.

  11. #11
    Allen Weatherby
    Join Date
    Jun 2004
    Location
    Florida
    Occupation
    Other Optical Manufacturer or Vendor
    Posts
    1,286

    Make the most of Individualized Lenses

    Quote Originally Posted by rdcoach5 View Post
    I have dispensed maybe 2 dozen of thr Physio 360s and have gotten wow responses from from all of them. I don't dispense them unless the P.D. is right on and the fitting lines are dead straight. But really, all PALs should be fit this way. If your local lab is not cutting them accurately, that's the problem.
    Actually to get the true benefit of a good freeform design it does help to have the orientation very exact. In the ICE-TECH Individualized lens, the far distance design can be compromised if the axis is off. You would get the similar effect as more unusable lens area in the distance view, (like cast PAL's). If you do mount them correctly you will get a full distance vision above a 180 horiz. line that is about 4mm below the distance optical center. We are totally focused on digitally surfaced Individualized lenses. We do not even offer any product produced using traditional lens blanks.

    We not only offer Individualized PAL lenses for dress wear but specialize in wrap around PALs with larger lenses for sun and fashion styles.

  12. #12
    OptiBoard Professional Ory's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2006
    Location
    Ontario
    Occupation
    Optometrist
    Posts
    977
    Mauro:

    It seems your threads always end up as discussions about brands of lenses, not the telescope issue you outlined in the other thread.

    Basically, higher order aberrations cause some distortion in any lens system. Low order aberrations (sphere, cylinder) are pretty well compensated for both in ophthalmic and astronomic optics, so we concentrate on things such as spherical aberration, coma, saggital and tangential astigmatism, curvature of field, and distortion.

    By using a ray-tracing aberrometer we can map out these higher order aberrations and come up with a way to minimize them. I stress the word minimize because it seems that by eliminating one form of aberration you increase the others.

    So, from a telescope point of view we can decrease these aberrations, giving better images and hence photographs. If you add in the human eye you are changing the lens system however. Each person has their own unique cocktail of aberrations that should be considered.

    Several contact lens manufacturers have taken the "average" aberration and corrected it in their lenses; this leads to some improvement for most people.

    Basically, to have the best optics each person using the telescope should have their own custom made eyepiece. This is where the freeform technology comes in. A freeform generator can produce lenses with surface not possible using traditional methods.

    Hope this clarifies things.
    :cheers:

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

Similar Threads

  1. free form lenses
    By redsoxfanfewany in forum General Optics and Eyecare Discussion Forum
    Replies: 22
    Last Post: 06-03-2008, 01:42 AM
  2. Free-Form Technolgy
    By For-Life in forum General Optics and Eyecare Discussion Forum
    Replies: 5
    Last Post: 03-21-2006, 12:26 AM
  3. Free Form Materials
    By skirk1975 in forum General Optics and Eyecare Discussion Forum
    Replies: 8
    Last Post: 01-18-2006, 12:23 AM
  4. Some free-form questions
    By 67csna in forum Progressive Lens Discussion Forum
    Replies: 3
    Last Post: 01-02-2006, 02:46 PM
  5. Free-form, schmree-form...
    By drk in forum General Optics and Eyecare Discussion Forum
    Replies: 7
    Last Post: 03-31-2004, 08:43 AM

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •