Talking with David Rips
 
Younger Optics recently released its new Camber lens design, representing what it refers to as a breakthrough in the way lens design utilizes multiple lens curves on both sides of the lens to provide a more precise vision correction.
According to Younger, the continuously changing surface curvature of the specially designed lens blank allows expanded reading zones with improved peripheral vision. When combined with a sophisticated back surface digital design, both surfaces work together to accommodate an expanded Rx range, offer better cosmetics (flatter) for many prescriptions, and yield user-preferred near vision performance.
 
David Rips, Younger’s CEO, spoke with Eyecare Business about the technology behind the lens, and how it can benefit wearers.
We started the conversation in the July issue of Eyecare Business. You can read it here. We continue our discussion here.
 
 
How long had Camber been in development?
David Rips: Younger began thinking about Camber as free-form began to become more popular. We understood all the reasons why free-form was a step forward, but felt we could do something to the front curve that would also make free-form even better optically.
Now the industry and wearer can have the best of both worlds, by combining the benefits of a varying base curve as was found in traditional progressives with the advantages of digital surfacing and back surface design.
 
What were the challenges of bringing a lens design like this to the labs?
 
David Rips: With both a varying base curve on the front and a unique digital design on the back, labs need to integrate the Camber lens blank from Younger with uniquely designed back surfaces from IOT. These challenges are not unlike those of any free-form design―to make sure that the design is accurately reproduced during lens processing by the laboratory.
The educational aspect of the lens has been less challenging. Labs and optically trained eyecare professionals seem to intuitively understand the Camber concepts and what the lenses are able to accomplish.
 
What are some of the challenges that labs have in positioning (to the ECP and ultimately, the patient) a lens like this…one that doesn’t have “name” recognition, and one that might be, to many ECPs, difficult to understand.
 
David Rips: Free-form has taken some of the “mystique” out of the brand name recognition factor in our industry. Most ECPs now understand that laboratories can offer, through their own brand, a lens which can be every bit as good as a branded lens. There is no progressive lens on the market that is more advanced than Camber, regardless of the brand.