Progressive Lenses
Multifocal spectacles with a smooth change in power
Overview
Progressive addition lenses are spectacle lenses whose power changes gradually from distance correction at the top to near correction at the bottom, with an intermediate zone between, and no visible lines. They are commonly used for presbyopia, the age related loss of near focusing. Because of the optics involved, they have zones of distortion at the sides, so wearers learn to point their nose at what they want to see and many need an adaptation period. The first commercially successful progressive lens, Varilux, was developed by the French engineer Bernard Maitenaz and introduced in 1959.
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