Seeking feedback on the Varilux Physio

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Vince - 22 Jan 2007 00:47 GMT

This is a follow-up to my previous post.

I am a first-time PAL wearer with this prescription:

-3.00 -1.00 x100
-2.75 -1.25 x080
Add: +1.75

I have these frames (50-19-140, vertical=32.2):

http://www.framesdirect.com/framesfp/Modern_Optical-tgsgr/r.html

They are currently fitted with Solamax Spectralite lenses.

Both the optician and I think that these lenses are not going to work.

It seems like the distance area in the Solamax is not "tall" enough for me.
Although I sit at a computer much of the day, distance and reading seem to
be the most important things to me. I can see the monitor pretty well when
I tilt my head down and look through the top of the lens (full -3.00
correction, I guess). My big gripe is when that I am up and about, much of
the world around me is out of focus, especially when I am doing something
like shopping at the supermarket. I don't like it, even after wearing these
for 2 weeks and going back for adjustments.

The optician has offered to try the Varilux Physio. I'm not sure if he
meant the regular Physio or the Physio 360. He said that they were super
soft, and he was talking about how much better they are in the correction
for aberrations, so he may have meant the 360's.

I took a look at the Sheedy papers, and there is no mention of the Physio
lenses, so I don't have much of a feel for how the distance, intermediate
and near areas compare to the Solamax.

Q: Does anyone have a feel for the size of the distance, intermediate and
near zones?

Q: Given the Rx and the problems with Solamax, do you think the Physio would
be better?

Q. If yes, what index and material should I go for? I don't think I really
care about the weight.

Q. Anything else I should consider, either during the fitting or even a
different lens?

Thanks.

Vince

Sheedy JE, Hardy RF, Hayes JR Progressive addition lenses - measurements and
ratings. Optometry 2006;77:23-39.
http://optometry.osu.edu/research/COOR/pdfs/progressive_addition_lenses_AOA_pape
r2.pdf

From Sheedy J. Progressive addition lenses-matching the specific lens to
patient needs. Optometry 2004;75:83-102. Copyright (c) 2004 by the
American Optometric Association. Web displayed with permission.
http://optometry.osu.edu/research/COOR/pdfs/OptomVisSciArticle.pdf

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CatmanX - 22 Jan 2007 09:25 GMT

The Physio 360 is the best "non-premium" lens on the market. Short of
Ipseo, and the Zeiss and Rodenstock elite lenses, there is nothing
better.

Sola Max was such a crappy lens, it was superseeded within about 6
months. It was a nothing lens to fit into Sola's nothing range of
lenses. They make lenses that are designed for 1 thing and are useless
for everything else.

I* have been using Physio 360 exclusively for the past 6-8 months and
they are superb. Great results on computer users, existing MF wearers
are noticing immediate improvement with clarity for distance and
reading.

Material: it doesn't matter, you are only -3.00. There is no
appreciable thickness, so go for CR39 or Orma as Essilor like to call
it.

For what it is worth, forget rubbish from Sheedy et. al. He invented
the disparometer, which was crap, tried to convince us all we had
computer vision syndrome, and now likes to make out he is an expert on
MF's. He is an academic, which means he knows stuff-al about functional
aspects of lenses and thinks a good questionaire will rate the best
MF's. Along the way he forgets that all lenses are different and
require exact fitting, with each lens being slightly different from the
others.

dr grant

Reply to this Message

Robert Martellaro - 22 Jan 2007 18:10 GMT

>This is a follow-up to my previous post.
>
[quoted text clipped - 17 lines]
>I tilt my head down and look through the top of the lens (full -3.00
>correction, I guess).

That doesn't make sense to me, unless the monitor is set low and you sit high.
If so, you'll be looking through the intermediate where the field of vision is
poor, not much fun if your doing this type of work 8 hours a day. Try raising
the monitor and/or lowering the chair. If you can see the monitor comfortably
through the distance portion of the lens then you won't need computer glasses-
yet.

>My big gripe is when that I am up and about, much of
>the world around me is out of focus, especially when I am doing something
>like shopping at the supermarket. I don't like it, even after wearing these
>for 2 weeks and going back for adjustments.

If your awareness of the optical boundaries doesn't diminish in another 2 weeks
consider another design, including lined bifocals or separate pairs.

>The optician has offered to try the Varilux Physio. I'm not sure if he
>meant the regular Physio or the Physio 360. He said that they were super
>soft, and he was talking about how much better they are in the correction
>for aberrations, so he may have meant the 360's.

I saw the contours plots (surface astigmatism) of the Comfort, Panamic, and
Physio side by side- the Physio looked very similar to the Comfort- makes sense
since the Comfort is/was the most successful PAL design to date.

>I took a look at the Sheedy papers, and there is no mention of the Physio
>lenses, so I don't have much of a feel for how the distance, intermediate
>and near areas compare to the Solamax.

The Physio is one of the best general purpose PAL designs. The distance
peripheral vision will be clearer than the MAX (semi-soft but wider near zone).
Probably easier to get used to the Physio for the first time wearer (who delayed
getting multifocals until the Add power was a moderate strength +1.75) than the
MAX.

Sheedy is the only person that I know of that at least tried to make an
objective evaluation of the different PAL designs on the market. Keep in mind
that not all aspects of design were evaluated due to expense, time, and testing
equipment availability, limiting the testing parameters to essentially the
spherical component, ignoring swim, binocular vision, skew distortion etc.

Here's a rather good paper that he wrote (with others) concerning PAL design.

http://optometry.osu.edu/research/COOR/pdfs/MinkwitzPaper.pdf

>Thanks.
>
>Vince

Hope this helps,
Robert Martellaro
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Optician/Owner
Roberts Optical
Wauwatosa Wi.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"An expert is a person who has made all the mistakes that can be made in a very narrow field."
- Niels Bohr

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