"Beyond UV" Lens Polymer: What's The Real Story?

[Lelarep]

A client recently made me aware of a type of polymer being offered by one of the online guys called "Beyond UV". Its apparently a blue blocking 1.57, 1.61, and 1.67 index lens polymer that is supposedly "completely" clear (For some reason they recommend the 1.61 for the best optics, regardless of Rx, not sure why). I looked it up, and I honestly couldn't reconcile everything it says it could do with what I currently know about lens polymer chemistry and color reproduction.

Are any of you familiar with this particular lens polymer? I honestly don't see how its possible to make a lens with blue blocking built-in, using any of the common lens polymers, that also provides "normal" color reproduction. Something doesn't seem right. Am I just not up on the latest materials or is there something off about all the claims they are making about this material?

[Chris Ryser]

A client recently made me aware of a type of polymer being offered by one of the online guys called "Beyond UV". Its apparently a blue blocking 1.57, 1.61, and 1.67 index lens polymer that is supposedly "completely" clear (For some reason they recommend the 1.61 for the best optics, regardless of Rx, not sure why).

If an on-line optical offers this super product, it does not mean that the wording is correct.

25 years ago when optical manufacturers came out with UV lenses where they added Uv absorbers, lens dye manufacturers killed the whole thing by selling UV dyes that would absorb UV and could be done in an opticians cut and grind lab in 15 minutes, for a fraction of the cost to upgrade to the new lenses, which had a yellowish tinge, but absorbed all UV over the 400 nm mark.

A few years later opticians mostly sold clear UV absorbers which had a cut off at 382 nm, but were clear and not so called ugly, with a yellowish tinge.

These days the visible blue light which is supposed to be suppressed, is now added by exactly the lens dye, that was rejected by many in the old days.

You can add it to the monomer with which the lens is cast or you can add it to the lens at a later date in your dye pot.

[jentos]

Could be similar technology to Kodak Total Blue

[Chris Ryser]

Could be similar technology to Kodak Total Blue

Whatever you call it now, it has been around since 1985, advertised, made and sold in optical stores that knew what they were doing.

[Robert Martellaro]

Discussed here about two years ago.

https://www.google.com/patents/EP2618206A1?cl=en

https://www.google.com/patents/CN103465418A?cl=en

http://uv420cut.com/feature/

http://www.luzerneoptical.com/top-wh...ev-lenses.html

Essentially a solution looking for a problem.