About PAL's

[truthseeker]

Hi everybody !!!
Me again.

Does anybody know where I can find some info on PAL's??
Just general info, have an assignment and cant find anything on the net.
Any help would be great....

Thanks:cheers:

[chip anderson]

Go to websites for: Youngeroptics, essillor, seiko, silor, and any other lens manufacturer, you will find more than you want to know. They will have from 3 to 1/2 dozen each.

Chip

[truthseeker]

Thanks Chip....

I was also looking for some more technical info also.

Thanks....

[Joann Raytar]

Can you give us a better idea what data you are looking for?

Try Sola's Technical Articles:

• Progressive Addition Lenses: History, Design, Wearer Satisfaction and Trends
• Fundamentals of Progressive Addition Lens Design

[truthseeker]

Well I have to preesent about PAL's....
History, Types, Evolution and Future.

basically everything...:)

[chip anderson]

Are you sure that you just don't want us to do your homework for you? And this is an odd assignment for an accountant?


Chip

[truthseeker]

Dont let the accountant title fool you .... I minored in Anthropology.....

I just cant find the info I am looking for.

But thanks for the offer.....lololol

[hcjilson]

Its an odd assignment for an anthropologist too!

A cursory search using Goggle found a wealth of information on PAL's. Just type in progressive addition lenses history....or Varilux history. You'll have enough reading to keep you busy for a while.

hj

[Pete Hanlin]

I have a PowerPoint that I give on PAL design, if you would like a copy to review (but promise not to distribute it) I will be happy to email it to you. Simply contact me at the email below...

[truthseeker]

OK now I have the basics but am unable to find anything that will spin the heads of my classmates and my teacher...
Diff designs tryed thru history, another time line other than essilors( no offence to essilor)..

Any Suggestions?????

Thanks.

[truthseeker]

I guess there are no Suggestions.....:finger:

[Pete Hanlin]

Different designs tried through history, another time line other than Essilor's (no offense to Essilor)... Any suggestions?????

No offense to Essilor has been taken (though any timeline of PAL design would necessarily involve that company).

One of the PAL presentations to which I referred was developed before I began working here. I don't believe it mentions Essilor at all- in fact, I believe it uses Sola's XL and VIP to demonstrate the difference between hard and soft PAL designs and the effects of increases in add power on any design.

If a presentation that contains information on Sola product is less objectionable to you, the offer still stands- just send me an email, and I'll send you a CD (the file is about 5MB, so it can't really be emailed).

[hcjilson]

Truthseeker,
Along about 1970-1971 the American Optical Company released a progressive lens design they called UltraView. To my knowledge, it was the first progressive design. It was promoted as a no line bifocal...."At this age, who needs more lines" was the catch phrase in their ads. Noline bifocal designs have been with us since the late 20's but fell into the "blended bifocal" catagory, not progressive changes in power.

The UltraView lens was geared for the cosmetics, not the optics. The progressive addition did have the added benifit of increased range, but it was primarily marketed to age conscious emerging presbyopes.

Your time line for PALs would properly start in 1970 or so.

PS if anyone needs an old Grolman fitting unit, get back to me!

hj

[Pete Hanlin]

Along about 1970-1971 the American Optical Company released a progressive lens design they called UltraView.
Not to introduce an "Essilor" timeline, but the first Varilux (progressive) design was released to opticians in 1958 in Europe. Essilor didn't exist until Essel and Silor merged in 1972.

Varilux progressives were not sold in America prior to 1972 (as far as I can ascertain), which explains Harry's recollection of AO being the first PAL design.

The first patent for Varilux was filed in 1953 by Bernard Maitenaz, who had joined the Societe des Lunetiers in 1948. The original progressive addition lenses were created by grinding approximately 5,000 seperate grinding operations- the facets that resulted from these operations were then carefully polished out to create a surface with a progressive change in power (sorry, but I personally find this sort of stuff fascinating- regardless of who originally made the thing).

Here are some other release dates of relatively recent popular progressives. If I've omitted some, mark it down to my own personnel fault- this timeline is from research I had done for another CEC, not from our marketing department.

Rodenstock:
1981- Progressiv R
1989- Progressiv S
1994- life
1996- Multigressiv
1999- life 2, life C, Multigressiv 2
2000- ILT (progressive on rear surface of lens)
2001- life XS

Zeiss:
1990- Gradal HS
1993- Gradal 3
1998- Gradal Top
2000- Gradal Top Individual

Sola:
1984- VIP (still the third most used PAL in the US, by some estimates)
1987- XL
1991- VIP Gold
1993- XL Gold
1998- Percepta
2000- SolaMax

American Optical:
1986- AO Omni
1993- AO Pro
1995- AO Force 55
1998- AO Compact

Signet Armolite:
1989- Elegance
1995- Kodak
1997- Navigator
2001- Concise

Pentax:
1996- AF
1999- AF Mini

Hoya:
1998- Wide, LX Wide
2000- Summit
2003- Summit CD

Seiko:
1995- P6
2001- Proceed

Essilor:
1982- Super No Line
1989- Infinity
1992- Adaptar
1994- Comfort
1995- Natural
2000- Panamic

Oh yeah,
Johnson & Johnson:
2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 200?... Definity2 (sorry, just couldn't resist ;) )

[johntricity]

OK Pete, calm down, Your foaming at the keyboard!

[truthseeker]

Thanks for the replies everyone Especially Pete & HJ....

I didn't mean anything bad about the essilor comment it's just that they are all over the net and no one else is around....for them thats fantastic I wanted to get small bits of info to try to wow my instructor.....thanks for the time line pete it's very accurate. About the presentation I have MSN and we can simply transfer it over that my e-mail is truthseeker03@hotmail.com.
I really appreciate it......


:cheers:

[Darryl Meister]

The original "progressive lens" was first conceived by Owen Aves in 1907. I believe that a few other "experimental" progressive designs also predated the first Varilux design, including the Omnifocal.

Best regards,
Darryl

[Pete Hanlin]

Just between us Ophthalmic Optics guys and gals (let's see, that should be about 5 of us in all)... ;)

Until shortly before I came here, I always viewed Essilor as the "Big Evil E," and didn't really use their products that much. Over the last year I dispensed, I started using Comfort and Panamic and found that they were truly superior products (to be honest, however, I was switching from a design that was introduced in 1984...).

In the short time I've been here, I've been truly impressed by the individuals that comprise this company, and I'm really proud to be becoming one of them. If my posts have been excessive, mark it down to enthusiasm, not any kind of offense or annoyance. Other than the marketing of a particular material, I have no grudges against any ophthalmic product (I've used most of them, and there is a lot of good stuff out there).

Concerning the first PAL design, considering that my info on the patent came from a book titled Essilor- 1972-1997 - Seeing the World Better it might not be overly surprising that the 1907 lens wasn't mentioned. I do believe Varilux was the first PAL to be generally released to Opticians, however. Any way you look at it, Varilux's 45 years in the business of making and designing PALs is an impressive span!

I will try to send the presentation to the email you provided. If you think I'm excitable here, you should attend one of my CECs- I suppose I just enjoy "getting worked up" about a subject!
:)

PS- The book I mentioned, which covers the first 25 years of Essilor's existence makes for some really interesting reading (Essilor fan or not). The pictures and accounts cover events that far pre-date the current company.

[Joann Raytar]

Pete Hanlin said:
I do believe Varilux was the first PAL to be generally released to Opticians, however.

1959: The first successful progressive addition lens was introduced under the name Varilux 1 in France.
http://www.badausa.com/history.htm

We have been giving truthseeker info about standard Progressives; would you folks agree that knowing other categories of progressives have existed for awhile as well, Readables, Smart Seg and the newer office lenses for example might also help truthseeker out?

[Pete Hanlin]

We have been giving truthseeker info about standard Progressives; would you folks agree that knowing other categories of progressives have existed for awhile as well, Readables, Smart Seg and the newer office lenses for example might also help truthseeker out?
Definitely. Smart Seg has always been an interesting product (it seemed like there was one or two patients a year that would describe visual requirements that were absolutely ideal for SmartSeg).

The whole "digressive lens" market is something a lot of Opticians don't seem to understand. Ordering a varifocal lens by near power seems to cause unnecessary confusion (BTW, the Essilor version is currently called Interview- look for a new offering in this market sometime later this year).

BTW, Truthseeker, I tried to send the file- but receieved an "undeliverable- file too large to be received" message. I'll try to cut out some slides from the file and resend.

[CEO]

You all break my heart forgetting about Younger, especially Pete.

For the record:

1954 Younger Seamless Lens (one of the early pre-cursors to progressives), developed by my dad, Irving Rips

1977 Younger 10/30 Progressive, one of the early designs of progressives, developed by Irving Rips & Lawrence Davenport (one of the early unsung pioneer's of progressive lenses)

1982 Younger CPS

1995 Younger Image Progressive

[Bev Heishman]

Dave,

I do not forget about your product. Younger has very good designs. We use them regularly, I found several years ago when I had problems I used the 10/30. Image is a good lens and comes in Trilogy, Trilogy Trans, Poly Polarized to name a few. We select it because it serves our patients lifestyle needs. Younger/Nupolar also supplies the films to many manufacturers.

Bev

[Edgley Gonzaga]

Hi people,

I liked a lot the pal's chronology, thanks all!!!

Do you guys have the aspheric lenses chronology??

Thanks guys

Edgley

[GatorGirl]

Dear Pete and everyone else

I am not sure if you have every seen the reading card for Varilux that gives the history of our ever poplular progs, but it states something different. I have to add to that history too. Last Christmas when my boss's dad was in town and was picking up his new Panamic's he told me the card was wrong. When he was reading the card he snickered alittle too. It seems that was given a set of Varilux's six months(at least that is what he said)prior to the date on the reading card.

See if you can find a copy of that reading card.







:bbg: Christina

[harry a saake]

:D Interestingly enough, the first time the word invisible bifocal was used was back in the 20,s with the advent of the kryptok lens, wasn,t invisible but the line was so thin it was almost invisible.