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Thread: Sola Smart Seg

  1. #1
    OptiBoard Professional UFRich's Avatar
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    Question Sola Smart Seg

    Is the Sola Smart Seg or a similar lense still available anywhere?

    UFRICH:cheers:

  2. #2
    One eye sees, the other feels OptiBoard Silver Supporter
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    The winter '04 Frames Data lens book has this lens listed. I have at least two clients wearing this lens. Fit it high like a trifocal.

    Robert

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    Jeweled Eyewear Billy Brock's Avatar
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    UF,

    It's still available from the lab I order my lenses from ....... several of my friends currently wear it ...... like Robert suggests, success for us has been obtained by fitting at trifocal height.

    B

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    OptiBoard Professional UFRich's Avatar
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    I have fit the lens in the past just wasn't sure it still exsisted. Could not find it on the SOLA website. Thanks for the info.


    UFRICH:cheers:

  5. #5
    Master OptiBoarder BobV's Avatar
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    Gee...

    Amazing...I just fit one yesterday, first one in years,

    Bob V.

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    We sell quite a few of the Smart Segs- mostly to previous wearers. It's not a lens I even think of when new bifocal wearers come in.

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    Master OptiBoarder Shwing's Avatar
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    I considered it a (pardon the pun) transitional phase in marketing. Optically, it was a bridge between progressives and straight tops. Seemed like a good idea at the time, but, well...

    No so much...
    Shwing

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    Is Smart Seg Discontinued?

    We had 2 labs tell us that they can no longer get the Smart Seg. With a number of happy wearers out there, this is not great news. Any ideas of alternatives? Varilux Liberty?

  9. #9
    What's up? drk's Avatar
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    I like the Smart Seg for the problem person who doesn't seem to understand why they aren't able to see the top of their newspaper laid out on the kitchen table with their +2.50 adds. And TF is anathema, as they are barely able to cope with a BF.

    Sneak in a Smart Seg, and don't make too big a deal out of it, and they seem to do OK.

    Great problem-solver lens that I hope never goes away: positioned for a person who needs intermediate vision but isn't a TF or progressive candidate, either.

  10. #10
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    But is it discontinued? It may be a wonderful lens (and it is), but that is of no use if we can't get it anymore.
    my new e-mail address is

    hamadani_99@yahoo.com

  11. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by sam hamadani
    But is it discontinued? It may be a wonderful lens (and it is), but that is of no use if we can't get it anymore.
    From Sutherlin Optical Lab's May,2005 newsletter:

    The Passing of the Smart Seg

    Effective immediately, SOLA will no longer be manufacturing the Smart Seg! We will be able to fill some orders from their existing stock while available!

  12. #12
    Master OptiBoarder Darryl Meister's Avatar
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    Yes, I regret to confirm the passing of SOLA's SmartSeg into the annals of Optical History. SmartSeg was indeed a novel product. Unfortunately, it was a product that never really seemed to "fit" into the traditional lens market, especially given the rapid transition into progressive lenses subsequent to its launch. It was both ahead of its time and a few years too late. ;)

    The posts in this thread really sum up the issues that led to this decision. Many dispensers have had a great deal of success with SmartSeg, though few dispensers actually think to recommend it anymore. Consequently, although it was the ideal alternative to conventional flat-top bifocals and trifocals, the demand for the product just fell below the levels necessary to warrant its continued production.

    Best regards,
    Darryl
    Technical Marketing Manager, AO*SOLA

  13. #13
    What's up? drk's Avatar
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    Boo!

    Do you think a company like X-Cel could buy the rights to produce it?

  14. #14
    Master OptiBoarder Darryl Meister's Avatar
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    Do you think a company like X-Cel could buy the rights to produce it
    I'll mention it to the "People in Charge."

    Best regards,
    Darryl

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    Old Optician to New OD Aarlan's Avatar
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    Sorry to drag up an old thread, but are there any labs out there that you know of that may have a few smart seg blanks left collecting dust? I have a patient that would kill for one, but none of our labs can help us (since they've been discontinued for almost 2 years I don't blame them). I would like to help the gentleman though, so if anyone has any left, or knows of someone with them, I'd love to know.

    AA

  16. #16
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    I have one lens. 4/2.50 left

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    Master OptiBoarder Joann Raytar's Avatar
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    Bumping this thread again.

    We have a patient who has been wearing smart seg for ages. Can anyone suggest an alternative? I'm guessing trifocal over PAL?

  18. #18
    On the Sunset Tour! Framebender's Avatar
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    I remember this thread . . .

    We switched a couple over to the Varilux Liberty. Its been a couple of years ago so I don't know if they're still making the lens. If not I'd try trifocal over PAL.

    Good luck to you!!

    :cheers:
    Days where my gratitude exceed my expectations are very good days!

  19. #19
    ATO Member HarryChiling's Avatar
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    The Liberty does seem to fit that problem patient niche.
    1st* HTML5 Tracer Software
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    *Dave at OptiVision has a web based tracer integration package that's awesome.

  20. #20
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jo View Post
    Bumping this thread again.

    We have a patient who has been wearing smart seg for ages. Can anyone suggest an alternative? I'm guessing trifocal over PAL?
    I still think that an updated Smart Seg with a new generation progressive seg would be a hit. We used loads of the old, now discontinued lens.
    I don't believe there is a comparable replacement. Most of my "conversions" to FT trifocals were functional failures. The Liberty design with its hard design didn't do much better as most Smart Seg wearers were non-adapts to conventional progressive lenses. I did have some success with the Shamir Creation progressive as it has a very soft design with exceptionally clear distance. If that fails, go SV but cut the add by .50 . It becomes more of an intermediate SV lens, but patients like it.

  21. #21
    Optician Extraordinaire
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    I have a pair of Smart Segs with plano distance and +2.00 add. They are designed so that patients can look through them and see what Smart Segs are like.

  22. #22
    What's up? drk's Avatar
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    Ok, how's this for useless creative thinking?

    Franklin seg:
    Top half: SVDO
    Bottom half: NVF lens

    You can call it the "dumb seg" if you want.

  23. #23
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    Would someone please call drk and speak to him. He must be way lonely and have too much time on his hands.

    Wheres OPTIDONN and his wacky assortment of hugs when we need him?

  24. #24
    What's up? drk's Avatar
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    Thanks for caring, Fezz.

  25. #25
    Master OptiBoarder
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    I have not seen an old dead thread get dug up on Optiboard all week, so I thought I would dig up the most useless one I could find.
    So, here's my old dead thread of the week, for no other reason than nostalgia.

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