Frames + Spectacle & Contact Lenses

Working in the optical industry requires an understanding of the diverse lifestyles of customers and the ability to recommend solutions tailored to individual needs. With demand for digitally skilled workers higher than ever in Australia, 1 the task of providing the best optical care possible often comes back to how we can cater for a range of closer focal zones.

WRITER Olivia Dorn

SPECTACLE LENS OPTIONS FOR OFFICE-BASED LIFESTYLES

Unlike progressive lenses, degressive lenses (occupational, extended focus, or enhanced readers) shift in power, being at their strongest at the bottom of the lens and at their weakest at the top. Due to this, degressive designs are ideal for individuals working with multiple screens or in small office spaces; they provide a wider field of view for near and intermediate distances compared to traditional progressive lenses. Occasionally, they are also used for developmental purposes, including myopia control or vision therapy.

Degressive lenses have come a long way since SOLA launched the first successful office lens with a product called Access in 1996. 2 Today, ZEISS’s Office lenses, for example, provide working distances of 100 cm, 200 cm, or 400 cm for ‘Room’ 3 type work, being an ideal custom-made solution to individual needs.

Shamir promotes its modern occupational lens design as offering “a greater depth of field, up to 3 m,” 4 tackling common problems associated with progressive or single vision designs with an ergonomic option for natural sitting postures or varying desktop heights.

Consideration for lens material is crucial when dispensing this lens design, especially for those using degressive lenses in abrasive environments, such as tradespeople in factories. Bollé addresses this demand with the Degressive Manhattan, 5 an extended near lens available in Trivex or polycarbonate lens material with various power options. The impact resistant lens materials allow those working in hazardous environments to meet safety standards while adapting to evolving performance requirements.

WHAT ABOUT PRE-PRESBYOPES?

Anti-fatigue or Digital Assistance Lenses (DAL) are primarily reading lenses with a small positive shift in the bottom section (e.g., +0.40D). They are good for clients who tend to experience eye strain due to high amounts of reading or computer work, and therefore are marketed towards reducing digital eye strain. EssilorLuxottica’s Eyezen Boost is promoted as relieving visual fatigue symptoms (such as blurred vision, headaches, and eye strain), allowing the user to manage intermediate to near vision tasks more comfortably. 6

Specsavers’ Superboost, 7 which has a slight addition increase as the wearer looks down from their distance vision, acts as an anti-fatigue lens. Jennifer Comrie, an employee at Specsavers, wears these lenses herself and said “I wear a Superboost 0.5 at work… what it means is that I can see completely into the distance, and then for me, because of my prescription, it’s a bit weaker at the bottom so I can read and use my laptop a bit easier. You don’t even notice the difference going from one script to the other! And there’s no blur or soft focus at the edges.”

Lenses with a boost can be helpful for prepresbyopes who will need to wear progressive glasses in the future but currently need assistance with near visual acuity; with no peripheral distortion they are easy to adapt to.

SPECTACLE DISPENSING CONSIDERATIONS

Interpreting a prescription provides information about ocular conditions, but understanding how customers use corrective devices requires adept questioning and conversation. Dispensers must inquire about customers’ lifestyles, working environments, and preferences to accurately recommend suitable lens and frame options.

Considering office lens designs may be worn for much of the day; the feel and functionality of the chosen frames are essential. Ensuring accuracy of the boxing measurement will aid in eliminating frames that may be too narrow or too wide. Cellulose propionate or titanium frame materials offer lightweight options with adjustability and are hypoallergenic, making these materials a versatile recommendation.

Using our adept questioning to uncover colour and style preferences will customise our frame recommendations, ensuring clients feel acknowledged in the selection process.

When dispensing degressive and anti-fatigue spectacle lenses, referring to the manufacturer for required facial measurements is crucial. Some lenses may be considered ‘as worn’, necessitating measurements of pantoscopic tilt, back vertex distance, monocular pupil centre height, and mono near centration distance (NCDs) or pupillary distances. Measurements required will depend on the guidelines for individual lens designs chosen and may require vertical decentration.

Common complaints for these lens designs can be resolved with simple frame adjustments, such as increasing the pantoscopic tilt and adjusting the face form angle.

BLUE LIGHT FILTERS

Degressive and anti-fatigue lens designs are often paired with a blue light filter, with the aim of reducing eye strain. Reports have discussed blue light and how it activates photoreceptors in the retina, which send signals to suppress melatonin and shift circadian rhythms (while affecting sleep cycles). 8 However, there is no current research that suggests blue blocking filters protect eye health. Therefore, practise caution when discussing the features of this lens filter. It is advised to use analogies when highlighting the benefits, and accurately brief your customer on the current status of blue blocking filters, to ensure they can make an informed decision on this purchase. (Personally, I love my blue light specs!)

CONTACT LENSES

Contact lenses provide numerous advantages, such as correcting refractive errors, increasing field of view, offering a more natural visual experience, promoting epithelial healing, and corneal protection.

Ongoing innovations have expanded the application of contact lenses to address dry eyes, especially those related to office environments or extended computer usage.

A research article, published in the Indian Journal of Ophthalmology, discusses the use of contact lenses as a form of dry eye management and states that silicone hydrogel lenses have “low water content and high oxygen transmissibility, thus having a lesser degree of lens dehydration. Also, they were reported to have reduced symptoms of dryness and discomfort.” 9 Oxygen permeability is a crucial factor when selecting contact lenses for customers prone to dry eyes. Options such as Dailies Total1 10 and Precision1 11 have high oxygen permeability, which will help with better oxygen transmission to the cornea and, therefore, comfort throughout the day.

WHAT’S NEXT?

Artificial intelligence and augmented reality have entered the space, becoming viable mainstream tools for life. With augmented realty spectacles and contact lenses on the horizon, patients will need tools to manage more viewing distances than ever before. Mojo Vision, for example, has already dedicated many years to this form of technology, and in 2023 announced progress on its micro-LED contact lens design. 12

Regardless of the manufacturer that finally enables us to remove cumbersome screens from the desk and alters the mobile reality of our world, optical experts must be at the forefront, ready to assist with the best individual recommendations and solutions for our customers.

Olivia Dorn is a qualified optical dispenser and a trainer and assessor at the Australasian College of Optical Dispensing. She is a locum dispenser specialising in prescription safety glasses and provides volunteer dispensing services.

References
1. Kidd, P., quoted in National Skills Week 2022, 87% of all jobs needed by business today require digital skills (media release, 24 August 2022) available at: nationalskillsweek. com.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/87-percent-of-jobsrequire-digital-skills.pdf [accessed 19 December 2023].
2. Sothman, B., Making the mold and breaking the mold: The rise and fall and rise of Sola Optical, Chapter 4.2 New product development, available at: solahistory.com/chapter-4-02.html [accessed 19 December 2023].
3. ZEISS Office lenses (webpage), available at zeiss.com. au/vision-care/eye-care-professionals/lenses/lenses-forevery-need/lenses-for-the-office-and-more.html [accessed 19 December 2023].
4. Shamir Workspace (webpage) available at: shamir.com/au/lenses_and_more/shamir-workspace [accessed 19 December 2023].
5. Bollé Safety, Our types of prescription lenses (webpage) available at bolle-safety.com/us/articles/ typesofprescriptionlenses.html [accessed 19 December 2023].
6. OPSM, Eyes at work lenses (webpage) available at opsm. com.au/glasses-advice/prescription-lenses/anti-fatiguelenses [accessed 19 December 2023].
7. Specsavers, Specialist glasses lenses (webpage) available at specsavers.ca/glasses/lens-guide/specialistlenses [accessed 19 December 2023].
8. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, The color of the light affects circadian rhythms, NIOSH Training for Nurses on Shift Work and Long Work Hours, Part 1, Module 2, available at: cdc.gov/niosh/work-hour-trainingfor-nurses/longhours/mod2/20.html [accessed 19 December 2023].
9. Chaudhary, S., Ghimire, D., Basu, S., et al., Contact lenses in dry eye disease and associated ocular surface disorders. Indian J Ophthalmol. 2023 Apr;71(4):1142–1153. DOI: 10.4103/IJO.IJO_2778_22.
10. MyAlcon, Switch to the contact lens that feels like nothing (webpage) available at: total.myalcon.com/au/ [accessed 19 December 2023].
11. MyAlcon, Try Precision1 and see what happens (webpage), available at: precision.myalcon.com/au/ [accessed 19 December 2023].
12. Perkins, D., A new direction for Mojo Vision’s groundbreaking technology, The Mojo Blog. Available at www.mojo.vision/news/a-new-direction [accessed 19 December 2023].