my walk on the far(sighted) side. Looking for a Spectralite replacement

[jrumbaug]

Here is my story, my problem, and my description of my walk on the far(sighted) side.

I have been unsuccessful in replacing a former co-worker’s lens. For simplicity’s sake, we will say the prescription is +6.00 O.U. She is a 45 year old female that wears RGP contacts most of the time. She can successfully wear her Spectralite single vision lens made in 2005, but we both know a need for a progressive lens is eminent.

The problem is, I have not found an acceptable replacement for her Spectralite lens. If I cannot find single vision lens that works, how will I recommend a future progressive that works. I have made aspheric 1.67 lens, aspheric 1.60 lens, spherical Trivex, and digital 1.60 lens. With every lens she has described the peripheral vision as “warpy and wavy”. Had this been reported with only one set of lens I would have dismissed it as poor surfacing. Her old lens front surface measures +7.00. The new lens measure from +6.00 to +6.50.

Today I tried to “walk on the far(sighted) side”. I inserted 2 high minus soft contact lens that left me with an over refraction of +6.00. I then put on her glasses with the digital lens and the Trivex spherical lens. I immediately became sympathetic for all the high power hyperopes I have been fitting for over almost 40 years. The room movement with head movement was obvious. What I found informative was observing the “bending of walls” with both sets of lens. The digital lens did less “bending”, but it was still pronounced. It is my opinion, this “bending” is the problem my former co-worker has with the glasses. I did not observe any optical defects in either pair. I have not had the opportunity to wear her Spectralite lens.

So my question is:
What is the best replacement for the Spectralite lens?

[drk]

Aspheric or FF trivex.

She has likely adapted to 90% of those visual distortion symptoms you sampled.

Nonetheless, high power lenses are a challenge to wear.

Go with the above recommendation, confidently tell her to do her end of the work (wear the things for weeks) and she'll adapt like she did before.

I don't know about this, and Darryl's not available, but different designs of asphericity behave differently. I'd think it would be difficult to mimic Sola's design, but maybe someone at Sola knows something.

Heck, even Steve might know something/someone.

[Robert Martellaro]

So my question is:
What is the best replacement for the Spectralite lens?

Semifinshed aspheric Trivex.

What I really miss is the aspheric Spectralite ST28's. The spherical fronts when using free-form equipment leaves the back surface really flat, unless we bump the refractive index substantially, increasing chromatic aberration as well as the cost. You might want to look at bi-aspheric/atoric SV lenses from Hoya and in Canada Nikon. I think they're called Nulux EP and Seemax, respectively.

[Robert Martellaro]

I don't know about this, and Darryl's not available, but different designs of asphericity behave differently. I'd think it would be difficult to mimic Sola's design, but maybe someone at Sola knows something.

Spectralite SV came in two degrees of asphericity- regular ASL, and the slightly more aspheric ASL+.

[drk]

Those were great lenses. I wore them for awhile, very happily.

I'd think that CZV could resurrect this lens design as a point-file and liven up that portfolio. Do it in trivex and presto.

[mshimp]

Ditto's on the trivex.

[jrumbaug]

I accept the Trivex recommendations as an partial answer.
What about the aspheric part?

@drk..... pardon my ignorance, but who is CZV?

[drk]

Carl Zeiss

[Robert Martellaro]

Those were great lenses. I wore them for awhile, very happily.

I'd think that CZV could resurrect this lens design as a point-file and liven up that portfolio. Do it in trivex and presto.

Unfortunately, Zeiss is in the business of making or working the back side of front spherical, SFSV lenses, with those blanks probably made in Indonesia. Because of manufacturing complexities and cost, don't expect that the front curve will be generated on a free-form manufacturing platform anytime soon. Our tool box for high plus wearers, especially with segmented multifocals, continues to shrink. Headline for 2015: Hyperopes SOL.

[shanbaum]

Those were great lenses. I wore them for awhile, very happily.

I'd think that CZV could resurrect this lens design as a point-file and liven up that portfolio. Do it in trivex and presto.

I don't know about a freeform version of the ASL, but I would like a material called "presto."

[AngeHamm]

You can get FFSV Presto in Germany and Japan, but it's years away in the U.S. Years.

[Robert Martellaro]

I accept the Trivex recommendations as an partial answer.
What about the aspheric part?

Best form base curve for Trivex with a power of +6.00 is +11.00. If they used a +8 BC, oblique astigmatism and RMS power error 15mm off-axis will be .7 D and .5 D respectively. A +9 BC is .5/.3, +10 BC .30/.2. So I could see why the spherical Trivex might have been unacceptable unless they used a +10 BC. That probably explains why the spherical Trivex was unacceptable. But it doesn't explain why the aspheric 1.60 failed, unless it wasn't aspheric, or it was an off brand or design that was optimized for thinness instead of optics.

The +7.00 BC for her old Spectralite lenses sounds about right, I think the steepest curve was about +7.50, which was marginal for a +6.00 Rx.

My guess is that there's something else that's changed, in order of importance- Rx, back vertex distance, center thickness, vertical and horizontal OC position, base curve, wrap, and panto. BVD should be as short as possible, just clearing the lashes.

Nice test with the Cls!

[drk]

Yeah, I've heard Presto's abbe is 67 and the index of refraction is 1.82. It only comes with an index-optimized AR stack and--get this--100% clear polarization!

[shanbaum]

...and if photochromic, it could be Presto Change-O!

[SeaU2020]

...and if photochromic, it could be Presto Change-O!

I almost spit out my water on that one!
Funny!

[sharpstick777]

...and if photochromic, it could be Presto Change-O!

That's funny!

[sharpstick777]

drk is right, there is enormous difference between aspheric brands in their design philosophies.

If price wasn't an issue, I would go to Quest Lab in Florida and have them design a front side add aspheric, with a base curve that will complement your Specratlite patient, but do so in a 1.60. The added clarity will give you an edge. Combined with a backside FF with compensations. Quest can surface both sides digitally aligning single vision in a blocker is possible because it doesn't have to be decentered like a progressive.

The cheap way to go is to try various 1.60 Free-form designs until one works.

[jrumbaug]

10-6-2014 update

I have returned the Trivex lens to the lab. The lens will be remade in an aspheric design. I will keep you all posted.

I appreciate the many suggestions. I may persue some of them if the current lab is unsuccessful.

[Robert Martellaro]

10-6-2014 update

I have returned the Trivex lens to the lab. The lens will be remade in an aspheric design. I will keep you all posted.

I appreciate the many suggestions. I may persue some of them if the current lab is unsuccessful.

Don't let the lab go to steep on the base curve. You might have to give up a little off-axis accuracy to keep the center thickness and base curve, hence magnification, similar to the old lenses, in other words, a little flatter than what the charts might show.

If the new frame is larger, expect increased CT and magnification, possibly matching the symptoms.

If the symptoms are more closely related to distortion (pincushion), all we can do is fit as close as possible.

Fortunately, as drk said, our visual system adapts well to this distortion after a few days to a few weeks of wear.

[jrumbaug]

@ Robert Martealaro Thanks. At this time, I will let the lab call the shots. If this next set fails, I will call the shots.

I expect the problem is pincushion. It is not thickness of lens nor magnification. Once this next set comes, I want to wear the patient's old Spectralite lens (with contacts on) to see if "I" can a difference.

[Paul Smith LDO]

I'm a little late to the conversation, I have had a bit of success with the, Optima Resolution, as a replacement lens for SV hyperopes, poly(not my favorite) atoric design.

[m0002a]

I would try the Hoya iD Single Vision in 1.60 (abbe about 41). You don't want to go higher index than that due to chromatic aberration problems for high hyperopes. For someone with a high plus SV aspheric or aortic lens, there is going to be some adaptation time, just like with a progressive, unless they have worn a similar lens previously. I have some personal experience with this, since I am +5.00 with +2.25 add. Before I wore progressives I had aspheric SV and there was some adaptation time required. When the time comes for progressives they should be able to easily move to the Hoya Lifestyle in the same material.