Product: Weco 580 Patternless Edging System.
Top Line: The Weco 580 is AIT’s most advanced edging system offering drilling, integrated lensometry, autoblocking, grooving, safety bevel and wrap edging.
Close Up: Weco has designed the new Edge 580 to process high base curve wrap frames with ease and has integrated drilling directly into the machine. The versatile unit can also produce Chemistrie magnetic sunlenses and polarized 3D magnetic lenses.
“The Weco Edge 580 is well suited for the high end optical dispensary looking to maximize the amount of work they can do in-house and deskill the edging operation with lens verification and blocking in one device,” said Matt Vulich, vice-president of AIT Industries.
Vital Stats: Weco Edge 580 integrates with many of AIT’s existing Indo tracer/blockers for those looking to upgrade their Indo patternless edgers while keeping their pre-existing tracer/blocking systems.
www.aitindustries.com

Product: LED 930 (9x14) Illuminator Cabinet
Top Line: Precision Vision offers a new small LED illuminator cabinet that solves both issues of portability and small testing areas.
Close Up: Uses long life LEDs to edge illuminate the light panel. Provides uniform lighting across the chart face. Ultra-thin (1.2 inches) and lightweight (4.5 pounds). Designed for testing any environment using a variety of test charts in several different optotypes and test distances ranging from 40 cm to 4 meters. Can be used with a table stand, floor stand (sold separately) or can be wall mounted. Table stand allows for easy portability by connecting to the back of the stand with magnets. Chart pocket in rear to hold charts when not in use.
Available translucent eye charts: Patti Pics, PV Numbers, HOTV, Snellen, Sloan, Tumbling E chart, C chart, Near vision and Contrast charts.
Vital Stats: Input 12 volts DC 0.75 amps. Power cord included. Cabinet measures 26.5w X 36.5h X 3d cm (10.5 X 14.25 X 1.2 in.). For high and low contrast vision testing with uniform retro illumination for all 23 X 35.5cm (9 X 14 in.) charts.
http://bit.ly/dELYSr

Product: Low Vision Starter Kit
Top Line: Hilco is releasing a low vision starter kit for eyecare practices that offer low vision services.
Close Up: The Low Vision Starter Kit contains:

• Coil LED Illuminated Magnifiers (3x magnification, 8 diopter; 5x magnification, 16 diopter, 7x magnification 24 diopter, 9x magnification, 32 diopter, 11x magnification, 40 diopter). These lightweight, portable magnifiers feature 48mm, aspheric lenses and LED illumination. A carry pouch is included.
• I-vu Personal Vision Assistant, a portable, easy to use digital magnifier, that zooms from 5x to 20x. User can view in color or reverse for more clarity. The unit features freeze frame capability and includes a carry pouch and charger.
• Hilco illuminated pocket magnifier featuring an acrylic lens with 2x magnification.
• Four pair of NoIR contrast eyewear, including two nylon frames and two UV shields. Both frames and shields feature adjustable temples and are comfortable over Rx. A carrying pouch is included.

Vital Stats: Hilco is offering the Low Vision Starter Kit at an introductory price. Call (800) 955-6544 for details.
www.hilco.com

Product: Crizal Sunshield Lenses
Top Line: Essilor of America is launching Crizal SunShield lenses, the first “no-glare” sun lenses that eliminate UV reflections from the back side of the lens. Crizal SunShield lenses will replace Crizal Sun with Scotchgard Protector and Crizal Sun Mirrors with Scotchgard Protector.
Close Up: Crizal SunShield lenses offer improved UV protection by incorporating a new optimized formulation to eliminate backside UV reflections, allowing 30 percent less UV light into the eye than ordinary sun lenses. When combined with polarized or tinted lenses, Crizal SunShield now provides wearers with complete 360 degrees protection, which helps protect the wearer from UV-related diseases, such as macular degeneration, cataracts and pterygium, according to Essilor.
Crizal SunShield lenses eliminate 99 percent of visible glare and light reflections on the back side of the lens, which makes vision more comfortable, especially in sunny conditions. Independent perception testing performed by EUROSYN showed that patients wearing Crizal Sunshield lenses experienced 40 percent greater comfort, compared to ordinary sun lenses.
Vital Stats: Crizal SunShield lenses incorporate the advanced technologies of Crizal Avancé lenses with Scotchgard Protector, the SR Booster Layer and anti-static properties to the back side of the lens to enhance scratch protection and resistance to dust. Crizal SunShield lenses now have twice the backside scratch resistance and stay cleaner longer.
www.crizalusa.com

Product: iPhone/iPad App Pupil Meter
Top Line: Sunmore Systems, a U.K.-based software developer, is introducing Pupil Meter, an iPhone app designed for consumers who purchase glasses online. An iPad version, Pupil Meter Pro, is aimed at the professional optometrist.
Close Up: According to Sunmore, the Pupil Meter accurately measures a pupillary distance (PD). Pupil Meter Pro can measure binocular and monocular PD, seg height and OC (optical center). PD measurement displayed is equivalent to far PD.
Vital Stats (Pupil Meter): Price to consumer: $0.99. Updated: Jan 12, 2011; current version: 3.0; 3.0 (iOS 4.0 tested); size: 1.1 MB. language: English. (Pupil Meter Pro): Price to optometrist: $9.99. Released: Nov 18, 2010; version: 1.0; 1.0 (iOS 4.0 tested); size: 1.2 MB; language: English.
Compatible with iPad. Requires iOS 3.2 or later.
http://bit.ly/ighr9o