ESSILOR MANUFACTURES THIN&LITE 1.74 MATERIAL IN NORTH AMERICA
Varilux Ipseo advances with Thin&Lite 1.74

DALLAS – (December 19, 2006) – For the first time, Essilor of America is the only company to manufacture Thin&Lite® 1.74 in North America. A full range of Varilux® products including, Varilux® Physio 360°™, Varilux Physio™ and Varilux Panamic®, as well as single vision lenses, are available in Thin&Lite 1.74 and come systematic with Crizal Alizé with Clear Guard™. Varilux® Ipseo®, the industry’s first personalized progressive addition lens (PAL), is also now available in Thin&Lite 1.74.

“Production of Thin&Lite 1.74 in Dallas, Texas means that eye care professionals (ECPs) will benefit from faster service time. With the ‘personalization’ feature, W.A.V.E. Technology, Crizal Alizé with Clear Guard and now the option of Thin&Lite 1.74 material, we are offering our eye care professionals (ECPs), the ultimate in lens design,” said Carl Bracy, vice president of marketing for Essilor of America. “We are excited to offer our patients the best design in the best material.”

With availability in Thin&Lite 1.74 material, Varilux Ipseo now offers patients a premium design in the thinnest material. Varilux Ipseo in Thin&Lite 1.74 is the only lens from Essilor to combine the technologies of personalization, W.A.V.E. Technology™ and Crizal Alizé with Clear Guard to create the ultimate lens.

Varilux Ipseo is the world's first PAL to integrate the physiological measures of an individual’s Head and Eye movement and prescription parameters into a lens design for a completely custom-made PAL. Essilor’s VisionPrint System® measures the unique visual behavior of each
patient’s Head and Eye movements, and allows for lenses to be individually designed to optimize a patient’s field of vision. The result is Varilux Ipseo, a progressive lens that is adapted to your patients. Varilux Ipseo also provides a cosmetic solution and a very comfortable option for high prescriptions.

Varilux Ipseo was then enhanced with W.A.V.E. Technology: Wavefront Advanced Vision Enhancement™ that provides patients with sharper vision at all distances – near, far and in between – by virtually eliminating distortions found in all progressive lenses. Only Varilux Ipseo combines “personalization” with W.A.V.E. Technology to create the ultimate progressive lens. Varilux Ipseo also comes standard with Crizal Alizé with Clear Guard, which has unparalleled durability, superior cleanability and smudge resistance that provides wearers the clearest vision possible.

The new availability in Thin&Lite 1.74 is the ultimate and latest addition to Varilux Ipseo, allowing wearers to have the premier lens exclusively from Essilor in the thinnest material available. Power ranges for Varilux Ipseo Thin&Lite 1.74 are: -14 to +13, cyl 4, ADD 0.75 to 3.50.

For more information, please visit www.Varilux.com or www.EssilorUSA.com.

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Varilux, Ipseo, Panamic, VisionPrint System and Crizal are registered trademarks and Physio, Varilux Physio 360° and DEFINITY are trademarks of Essilor International, S.A. Thin&Lite is a registered trademark and Crizal Alizé with Clear Guard, W.A.V.E. Technology and W.A.V.E. Technology: Wavefront Advanced Vision Enhancement are trademarks of Essilor of America, Inc.