PhotoFusion! The new self-tinting lenses by ZEISS

The eye-care innovation 2011 – PhotoFusion^®, the new self-tinting lenses by ZEISS, reacts up to 20% faster* than existing photochromic lenses by ZEISS. PhotoFusion^® by ZEISS is ideal for everyone who wears spectacles and especially for eyes which are sensitive to changing light. Here you can learn all about the many benefits of self-tinting lenses by ZEISS. PhotoFusion^® represents a further milestone in the history of the visionary firm of ZEISS, a history going all the way back to 1846.

an innovation which is guaranteed to demonstrate genuine improvements in comfort and performance: PhotoFusion®, the new self-tinting lenses by ZEISS.

PhotoFusion Delivers Faster Tinting Times

Carl Zeiss's has just released a new self-tinting lens that they say darkens in 15 - 30 seconds and is clear again in five to 10 minutes, eliminating the need for people to swap between sunglasses and eyeglasses when moving between outdoor and indoor environments.

According to Carl Zeiss, PhotoFusion® lenses, which are produced in-house, react up to two times faster from dark to clear than previous photochromic lenses by Carl Zeiss Vision.

Steve Daly, the Director of Research and Development for Carl Zeiss Vision Australia & New Zealand said this reaction speed is high enough to allow comfortable vision in all light conditions. In doing so, he said, they live up to a key expectation reported by more than 5,800 glasses users from around the world, surveyed in research commissioned by Carl Zeiss, who overwhelmingly said "yes to self-tinting lenses, but only if they're faster."

PhotoFusion® technology is based on patented photoactive molecules that unfold when exposed to UV light, thus darkening the lens and providing protection. According Carl Zeiss, these new lenses are very clear indoors (92 per cent transparency with antireflective coating) and very dark outdoors (9 per cent transparency in sunlight with antireflective coating).

The lenses also provide 100 per cent protection against UV rays up to 400 nm and excellent colour consistency for natural vision. Importantly, the company claims, they retain their self-tinting ability for a long time.

For further information please visit www.photofusion.zeiss.com.

Background Information

What eyeglass wearers expect from self-tinting lenses

New study shows that fast reaction to changes in light is the key selling point

Photochromic lenses were invented in the 1960s by the chemist Stanley Donald Stookey and his colleague, William Armistead. Nobody doubted that it was a brilliant idea: lenses that react to UV light, turning dark like sunglasses outside but remaining clear indoors. The innovation changed the landscape of the industry completely, and today self-tinting lenses are used by one in five eyeglass wearers worldwide. The performance of the lenses has also continually improved over time, for instance with the introduction of plastic lenses by the Carl Zeiss Vision brand 'American Optical' in the 1980s, which allowed even tinting distribution for the first time. However, many users remain unsatisfied with their eyeglass lenses. The main criticism? The lenses are often considered to react too slowly to changes in light.

Customer priority number one: faster reaction

High adjustment speed to changes in light conditions is therefore at the top of the wish list for users of self tinting lenses, as shown by an extensive market study commissioned by Carl Zeiss Vision. In the survey, which was carried out in 2010 during spring and summer, 5,896 glasses wearers from Germany, Italy, Great Britain, the USA, Brazil, Australia and China gave an exact profile of their needs, preferences and opinions.

The study revealed a significant level of interest in self-tinting lenses: 53% of all glasses wearers knew about self-tinting lenses, while 20% were already using them. 94% of the users said they would buy self-tinting lenses again.

Consumers very conscious of health and quality

91% of those surveyed affirmed the health benefits of high-quality eyeglass lenses. 94% considered proper protection against UV rays to be important for the health of their eyes. Many also shared similar views on quality: 86% of those who wore self-tinting lenses indicated that they would not buy lower quality eyeglasses to save money, even though most of them had to pay for their eyeglasses themselves. The participants who did not wear self-tinting lenses were also highly conscious of quality: 70% considered quality extremely important.

Consumers want lenses to make their lives easier

Participants saw great advantages in self-tinting lenses with regard to convenience and ease of daily life. "One pair of eyeglasses for all light conditions" – this exact practical benefit was mentioned by many participants and considered an improvement in quality of life. 77% of those surveyed said it should no longer be necessary to have one pair of eyeglasses for outside and one for inside. However, many thought there was still room for improvement: 43% of all participants said that the photochromic lenses available on the market at the time still reacted too slowly to changes in light conditions.

As a driving force in the global optics market, Carl Zeiss Vision worked intensively with the results of the study to develop self-tinting lenses that fulfilled all the user requirements mentioned: up to two times faster from dark to clear than previous photochromic lenses by Carl Zeiss Vision, 100% protection against UV rays, excellent colour consistency and service life. Two thirds of those surveyed thought that these eyeglass lenses represent greater value.

No more changing between glasses and sunglasses

The most convincing selling point for participants in the market study was purely pragmatic: the quick-reacting, and thus universal, PhotoFusion® eyeglass lenses from ZEISS remove the need for a second pair of eyeglasses, so users no longer have to swap constantly between pairs for different light conditions. This is also an advantage for those who wear sunglasses as an important fashion accessory and an expression of their personality: PhotoFusion® lenses clear up for perfect vision within a very short time after coming out of the sun, so you never need to take your shades off indoors again. The high-quality materials and innovative technology used by ZEISS make PhotoFusion® eyeglass lenses the must-haves for a fashion-conscious generation that places great importance on high-quality accessories.

For further information please visit www.photofusion.zeiss.com.

Credit: mivision, photofusion.zeiss