ESSILOR GETS PERSONAL WITH VARILUX IPSEO

DALLAS -- (March 9, 2005) – Essilor of America, Inc. is getting personal. Today, Essilor is expanding a controlled roll-out of its Varilux® Ipseo™ progressive addition lenses (PAL) and the Vision Print System (VPS).

Varilux Ipseo, recently recognized as the recipient of the industry’s Technology and Fashion Grand Prize: the SILMO Special Prize at the 2004 SILMO trade show in Paris, France, is now officially debuting in the U.S. From over 55 entries, Varilux Ipseo was chosen as the most innovative lens in the last 10 years.

Varilux Ipseo is the world's first progressive PAL to integrate a specific individual’s physiological measures of their Head and Eye movements and prescription parameters into this personalized PAL totally custom-made. Essilor’s VPS system is an FDA cleared diagnostic device and it measures the unique visual behavior of Head and Eye movements, and allows for lenses to be individually designed to optimize a patients’ field of vision. The result is Varilux Ipseo, a unique lens designed for every presbyope based on each patient’s prescription and two coefficients - Head and Eye movement. Varilux Ipseo lenses adapt to the wearer, rather than the wearer having to adapt to the design.

“Essilor is thrilled to bring another first to Eyecare Professionals and their customers,” said Mike Daley, president of Essilor Lenses. “The VPS system and Varilux Ipseo are further examples of how Essilor’s R&D is unique and dedicated to studying the individual behavior of patients and conducting actual wearer tests that help deliver the best vision possible. The Varilux line is further extended to include this superior product and we are proud to bring this major achievement to the industry,” said Daley.

Extensive research has shown that Head and Eye movements are unique to each individual and these measurements are recorded by Essilor’s innovative (VPS). Based on this information, Varilux Ipseo’s progressive lens surface design is personalized by proprietary free form lens cutting technology. These machines are customized with proprietary software, to develop only Ipseo lenses, custom-made to the individual's prescription and their unique visual dynamics. This proprietary state of the art technology generates a complex design directly from a “hockey puck” without using traditional tools and pads. By adding parameters to the current Rx, this design optimization allows lenses to be tailor-made to specific patients’ needs.

In addition to the patient’s normal prescription and measurements, Varilux Ipseo also requires Head and Eye ratio, stability coefficient and patients initials – these initials are engraved on the lens making Varilux Ipseo even more personalized for patients.

Power ranges for each product are +6.00 to -10.00 up to a 4 cylinder for Thin & Lite® 1.67, and +0.75 to +3.50 in 0.25 increments available in 1.67 Transitions with Crizal® AlizéTM capability as well.

###

AirWear®, Crizal®, and Varilux® are registered trademarks and IpseoTM is a trademark of Essilor International, S.A.
Thin & Lite® is a registered trademark of Essilor of America, Inc.