Address:
817 East 66th St.
Richfield, MN 55423
Lenses Technology
Swoop Eye Care partners with many specialty and local optical labs in the upper Midwest. Given our relationships, we can serve the needs of ALL our patients and those within our community from the simplest to the most complex optical prescriptions (prism, FL-41 tint, transitions, extra active transitions, slab-off, progressives, digital lenses, computer lenses, and much more). Our certified opticians help patients from start to finish!
Some of our lab partners are:
What should you expect from Swoop Opticians?
Your eye doctor (optometrist or ophthalmologist) prescribes a specific prescription, but does not usually specify types of lenses, and/or additional features that help in your everyday life (anti-reflective coating, blue-blocker, polished edges, photochromatic lenses, tints, etc.). Our opticians will provide an individualized experience depending on your prescription, lifestyle requirements (read below), and hobbies that you may have!
Why is it important to consider lifestyle requirements for your prescription glasses?
Swoop Eye Care partners with almost all industry leaders for ophthalmic lenses. These include:
- IOT *
- Essilor
- Hoya
- Kodak
- Shamir
- Seiko
- Varilux
- Younger
* IOT is an independent, innovative, and optical & material research scientist based company in Madrid, Spain. IOT is not affiliated with a frame, insurance, or other optical company. Their sole purpose is to improve the visual needs of their customers.
Types of Lenses
Single Vision Lens Options
Anti-Fatigue Single Vision
A lens design with a goal to reduce digital eye strain caused by electronic devices (tablets, phones, computers, gaming)
Benefits that may also be experienced are less headaches, dryness, neck/shoulder pain, blurry near vision
Single Vision Lenses (Digital Single Vision, DriveWorks)
Digital Single Vision Benefits
A single vision lens that provides high definition clarity throughout the entire lens
Precise measurements due to state-of-the-art manufacturing techniques to provide the clearest optical correction possible
DriveWorks Single Vision Benefits
Have you ever noticed more difficulty while driving or seeing at night? Never fear, DriveWorks is here for you!
DriveWorks compensates by providing a distance boost in low light conditions (i.e. night driving)
Multi-Focal Lens Options
Progressive Lenses
Invisible or no line multifocal (other terms: no-line bifocal, line-less-bifocal) allowing clear, comfortable vision at all distance (distance, computer, reading)
Lenses within this category have many different designs that accommodate the needs of different lifestyles, hobbies, and visual requirements.
Tiers: There are varying quality levels of progressive lenses that allow for a wider, more comfortable reading corridor as shown in the photo.
Lined Bifocals
FT 28 – The design offers two segments (distance, reading).
FT 35 – The design offers two segments (distance, reading), but it wider and longer compared to FT28.
Round FT28 – The design offers two segments (distance, reading). The reading line is rounded versus a straight design.
Executive Bifocals – The design offers two segments (distance, reading). The line goes across the entire lower part of the lens.
Source: Spectacle Lens Styles (2020mag.com) (https://www.2020mag.com/article/spectacle-lens-styles)
Invisible Digital Bifocal (Shamir Duo or Endless Bifocal)
A single bifocal zone that is not visible from others. It allows a patient comfort while not feeling hyper-conscious that he or she has a bifocal to help read.
The image to the right shows the woman wearing lined bifocals and the image on the bottom shows the same woman wearing Shamir Duo lenses (invisible line bifocal).
Lined Trifocals
7 x 28 – The design offers three segments (distance, computer, reading) all in the same lens.
8 x 35 – The design offers three segments (distance, computer, reading) all in the same lens. The computer/reading segments are wider and longer compared to 7 x 28.
Source: Spectacle Lens Styles (2020mag.com) (https://www.2020mag.com/article/spectacle-lens-styles)
Office or Computer Lenses
The lens design offers clear, comfortable intermediate and near vision (computer/reading distances). This lens does not allow for distance vision. Working habits and your work environment must be considered in choosing the best option for you.
Pilot Works
Specialized occupational lenses that allow computer distance/near vision correction for the upper and lower parts of the lenses. Eliminates head/neck tilt by adding a SECOND area for reading/computer vision. These lenses benefit airplane pilots, plumbers, electricians, mechanics, construction professionals, artists and many others!
Other Specialty Lenses
Myopia Management Benefits
What are the benefits?
The lens design reduces the progression of nearsightedness (myopia).
How does it work?
Optical scientists and researchers have used variable power lenses to account for asymmetries of the eye in the back of the eye, known as the retina. By doing so, light focuses on strategic points, which have been longitudinally studied to decrease the progression of nearsightedness.
Research Studies
Title: Effectiveness of a Spectacle Lens with a Specific Asymmetric Myopic Peripheral Defocus: 12-Month Results in a Spanish Population
Conclusion: A group of 92 children were studied from the ages of 5-12 years of age.
Group 1 – 46 children wore traditional single vision lenses
Group 2 – 46 children wore myoless free-form technology lenses
Results: Treatment group 2 (myoless free form) notes a 39% decrease in axial length of the eye. With a decrease in axial length, this translates into reduced nearsightedness prescription or myopia.
Safety Lenses
Safety lenses are ANSI (American National Standards Institute) approved lenses that have been tested for maximal protection for environments that are inherently more at risk for eye related injuries. There is often a marking on the lenses that indicate Z87/Z87+ or Z87.2/Z87.2+ or that the lenses adhere to protection standards regulated by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
What is the difference between basic impact versus high impact?
Basic impact (Z87 or Z87.2) lenses are tested by involving a one-inch diameter steel ball and dropped from a height of 50 inches on the lens only. Lenses that resist cracking, chipping or breakage pass the compliance test.
High impact (Z87+/Z87.2+) lenses are tested with frame AND lenses together. A quarter inch diameter steel ball shorts out at a speed of 150 feet per second. If the lenses resist cracking, chipping, breakage AND the lenses stay within the frame, the test is considered a success and the product is classified as HIGH IMPACT resistant.
Shaw Lenses
What are the potential benefits?
The design of the lenses minimizes visual distortions and reduces image size differences between each eye (right and left eyes).
Eliminates double vision
Improves headaches (especially frontal headaches)
Improves eye strain
Improves reading
Improves binocular vision function
Improves light sensitivity
Improves eye fatigue
What conditions are most benefited with SHAW lenses?
Congenital anisometropia
Axial length changes secondary to retinal surgeries (retina detachment)
Refractive induced aniseikonia from cataracts
Cataract refractive surgery
Maculopathy (macular pucker, cystoid macular edema, epiretinal membrane, macular schisis, central serous chorioretinopathy, macular holes, and many others)
How does it work?
A computer-based algorithm uses specific measurements provided by a Swoop Optician to customize lens thickness, curvature of the lenses, and varying power from center to peripheral parts of the lenses.
Shaw Lens Example
- This example highlights a patient with anisometropia, nearsighted (myopia) in one eye and farsighted (hypermetropia) in the other eye. When the patient looks through his or her lens, the eyes will see different images sizes. This is usually uncomfortable; therefore, a SHAW lens is recommended to change the curvature & thickness of one of the lenses to improve the visual comfort for the patient
Case Presentation
A patient reports to clinic with symptoms of double vision vertically, blurry vision in both eyes (one more than the other), and continually feels unbalanced/dizzy.
Diagnosis
Anisometropia: Farsighted in the right eye and nearsighted in the left eye.
Aniseikonia: Farsighted eye sees a larger image while the nearsighted eye sees a smaller image.
Management
Prescribe a SHAW lens that creates a custom lens with varying curvature and thickness to create the SAME perceptual image when looking through a new pair of glasses.
| NORMAL VISION |  |
| Distorted Vision with STANDARD LENSES Right Eye: LARGE Image Left Eye: SMALL Image |  |
| Improved Vision with SHAW LENSES Right/LEFT EyeS: EQUAL Size Image |  |
Types of Customized Lens Options
Anti-Reflective Coating
Anti-reflective (AR) coating eliminates or minimizes reflections to allow more light to enter the eye. Photos with glasses on will not show glare as well as a reduction of strain/glare from computer screens and even improvement in night driving!
Chemistrie Clips
The patented ultra-thin pair of high-quality lenses attach small magnets placed in the prescription lenses on your new frames during the manufacturing process. Check out the various options below!
Chemistrie Sun
Lenses come either polarized or non-polarized. There are options that allow for a gradient, mirror or even solid color. Check out Chemistrie Sun (bold word, color blue, https://eyenavision.com/chemistrie-sun/)!
Chemistrie Calm (Therapeutic)
A therapeutic tint option that is placed over the existing lens. FL-41 has been shown to decrease the frequency, magnitude, and length of migraine episodes. There are two choices for density of the tint at light (20%) and medium (50%) tint levels.
Chemistrie + (Reading/Computer)
A set made for reading or computer wear that can be used when working at the computer for countless hours! This is a great option for the work from home professional! Powers are available from +0.50 to +2.50.
Chemistrie Color
A lens designed for patients with color vision deficiency (CVD). Deuteranomaly, the most common type of red-green color vision deficiency, is when a patient perceives specific shades of green redder in color. Protanomaly, the second most common red-green color vision deficiency, is when a patient perceives red shades to be more consistent with green. A proprietary artificial intelligence program was used to filter precise portions of the visible light spectrum to create contrast and color separation to enable patients to CVD patients to discern more colors and additional shades of color.
Source: Types of Color Vision Deficiency | National Eye Institute (nih.gov)
Lens Material
CR-39 – This material is the most common choice. It blocks 80% of ultraviolet light without any other optical treatment. A disadvantage is that the lens is not considered shatter resistant.
Polycarbonate – This material is commonly used for its light weight, thinner profile, shatter resistance and ultraviolet light protection. A disadvantage is that the lens has a lower Abbe value, which means that the quality of vision is poorer than CR-39 or even Trivex.
Trivex – This material is the most impact resistant lens with improved optics compared to polycarbonate while maintaining a thinner profile lens. This material is always preferred compared to polycarbonate except for cost.
Hi-Index 1.67 & Hi-Index 1.74 – Hi-Index lenses provide the thinnest possible lens option and a lighter weight compared to all other options. Patients with higher prescriptions are recommended to consider this option.
Does material impact the thickness/weight of the lenses?
Yes! The example below shows the prescription and thickness with different lens materials. After -6.00 & +6.00, there is a very noticeable difference between polycarbonate and Hi-Index lens options.
Source: https://vseyewear.com/shop/eyeglasses-shop-by-brand/high-index-lens-replacement/high-index-replacement-lenses/
Mirror Coating
A lens option that adds additional protection by blocking ultraviolet rays and reflecting specific wavelengths of light pending the color chosen.
Opti-Fog
An innovative layer that activates to inhibit or decrease the fogging of lenses when wearing masks or in many other situations. This is a proprietary product of Essilor and is only available with specific lenses.
Photochromatic
Photochromatic lenses (often referred to as transition lenses) have chemical components built into the lenses that activate in the presence of ultraviolet light. Transitions have many options that can be selected such as: darker options, colors, polarized vs. unpolarized, and rate of transition (from dark to clear).
Do photochromatic lenses change while driving?
Yes and no! Talk with our optician to guide you to the option that will transition in the car.
Polarization
Polarized lenses reduce glare and harmful ultraviolet light by uniformly allowing light to pass through the lens. Light typically scatters when emitted from a light source; however, a polarized surface creates a single direction of light allowing for clear, comfortable vision. Fishers, boaters, and long-distance drivers often enjoy the benefits of these lenses.
Polished edges
A process where the optical lab removes the frosted appearance on the side of the lenses especially for semi-rimless and rimless frames. This process also decreases the thickness of the lenses. A satin polish can be used to decrease reflections of light on the edge of the lenses.
Slab Off
A lab process to eliminate symptoms of double vision experienced by the patient with very different prescriptions between the right and left eyes known as anisometropia. The optical lab grinds prism into the most plus or least minus lens to offset unwanted vertical prism experienced by the patient due to vastly different lens powers between the eyes. A lens with slab off has a linear blurred line that goes across the entirety of the lens and cannot be eliminated.
Prism
Prism is prescribed to minimize or eliminate double vision experienced by the patient. An intermittent or constant eye turn is the cause of double vision (see your eye doctor to determine cause), which can present with a vertical, horizontal, or even a diagonally displaced double image. Important considerations when selecting eyewear, as prism does affect the thickness of the lenses. A thicker frame should be considered if cosmetically concerned when prism is greater than 5 prism diopters.
Helpful Hints!
Consider a frame
Select a frame that centers your eyes in the lens. This will reduce thickness of the lens and decrease visual distortions.
Precise measurements are required by an in office optician, as critical measurements are customized based upon frame selection and position when worn.
Check with your eye doctor if you are not comfortable with your new lenses after about 1 week. There is often a period of time required to become accustomed to the lenses.
Tints
A tint can be prescribed as a therapeutic component or can be selected by the patient based upon visual comfort or even style. Tints have many options such as color, density of color (often determined by a percentage), solid/ gradient, and many other unique features.
FL-41 Therapeutic Tint
A therapeutic rose color tint often prescribed by a Neuro-optometrist to improve visual discomfort experienced by the patient. Research has discovered that a large subset of migraine suffers wearing FL-41 experience less migraine episodes, damped or less severe migraine episodes, and/or shorter duration of migraine episodes.
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