SUPER FOCUS I can now see the world in Super Focus!!

Fellow readers, Remember I wrote some months ago about an innovation for patients who suffer from presbyopia? Just to recap:

If you have been watching television recently, you may have seen an ad for some glasses called “Super Focus.” You may ask then, what is this super focus all about?{{more}}

Before I adequately answer this question, you need to understand something about the ageing eye.

Shortly after birth, we develop an amazing focus range, acquiring the ability to see things very close to the eye. This is thanks, to a large extent, to the flexible nature of the lens within the eye. With increasing age, however, this lens gets firmer and firmer.

By the time we reach the age of about 40 years (give or take a few years), the ability of this lens to change shape decreases so much that reading glasses are required for seeing close-up. This condition is called “presbyopia.” I wrote about this this several weeks ago. Presbyopia is corrected with either glasses, contact lenses or surgery. If the option of glasses is chosen, either reading glasses, bifocals (correction for far and near) or, more recently, multifocals are used. Multifocal, progressive or “no line bifocal” lenses combine several focusing ranges into one.

The main disadvantage of progressive lenses are as follows: The reading area is limited, so when looking sideways one needs to turn one’s head. The extreme periphery of the lenses, in other words, becomes distorted.

Superfocus lenses have, in fact, been on the market for a few years now. They are gaining popularity, thanks to their advertising campaign.

Each frame contains a pair of unique focusing lenses that change their shape, imitating the way the natural youthful eyes work. The advantage here is that due to a slider on the bridge of the frame, the entire lens focuses instantly on the distance or near, even in the periphery. This is an obvious improvement over progressive glasses.

Currently, the major disadvantages of these glasses are:

1. They cost over twice as much as multifocal(progressive) glasses,

2. Only two styles are available, and therefore

3. They are not as cosmetically appealing.

The company that makes these glasses promises new styles in the future. I hope they come up with innovative designs, especially for the ladies.

I just love the fact that there is no jump from one zone to another. I used it all weekend and I must say it’s one of the best experiences I have had and, as far as I’m concerned, it is better than bifocals and progressive lenses.

I can now see the world in Super Focus!!

Next week I will discuss another innovation that digital zooming called The Empowered Lens.

Dr Kenneth Onu is a resident Consultant Ophthalmologist at the Beachmont Eye Institute/Eyes R Us Send questions to: Beachmont@gmail.com

Tel: 784 456-1210