[bc]ESSILOR INTRODUCES FINISHED SINGLE VISION (FSV) THIN & LITE® 1.67 ASPHERIC WITH SCRATCH COATING LENSES AVAILABLE FOR ORDER AND SHIPMENT MID-FEBRUARY[/bc]
DALLAS - (January 17, 2003) – Essilor of America, Inc. is announcing FSV Thin & Lite® 1.67 Aspheric (with scratch-resistant coating) will be available for order and shipment on February 17, 2003 in the following range: -2.00 to -8.00D, Cyl. -2.00.

Thin & Lite® 1.67 lenses are 50 percent thinner than 1.50 standard plastic and 25 percent thinner and 15 percent flatter than a 1.60 index lens, resulting in a slimmer profile and more comfortable wearing experience for any patient. Plus, the aspherized design allows for consistent visual performance throughout the entire lens. Essilor’s built-in factory hard coat and 100 percent UV protection provides strong protection and durability. For greater light transmission, and therefore improved visual clarity through this high-index lens, Essilor recommends labs apply an anti-reflective coating or order Thin & Lite® 1.67 with Crizal®.

“High-index material continues to be the fastest growing segment in premium lenses,” said Kurt Matsumoto, vice president of marketing for Essilor of America. “Lens wearers are demanding lenses that are thinner, lighter and more fashionable. We are happy to make this FSV lens available to all laboratories as it gives them another way to participate in the growth trend of Thin & Lite® 1.67.”

Eye care professionals can order FSV Thin & Lite® 1.67 lenses from all laboratories and through VisionWebSM www.visionweb.com for all laboratories that are connected to the site.

Laboratories with questions on how to order this FSV lens should contact their Essilor Wholesale Manager or Customer Service at 1-800-THE-EYES, 1-800-843-3937.

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Varilux®, Airwear® and Crizal® are registered trademarks of Essilor International, S.A.
Thin & Lite® is a registered trademark of Essilor of America, Inc.
VisionWebSM is a service mark of VisionWeb, Inc.