Introducing Izumi OS-9369, a captivating blend of bold elegance and playful charm. This dramatic cat-eye frame exudes a sense of allure and confidence with custom lamination that seamlessly merges solid and translucent patterned acetate, creating a dynamic interplay of light and shadow for a look that is sophisticated yet fun.
Established in 1961, WestGroupe is family operated with over 60 years of industry insight. Our mission has always been to provide unique and superior quality eyewear for the fashion-focused consumer. We are driven by our customer commitment to excellent service and exceptional product. WestGroupe is dedicated to defining future standards in the optical business by developing, creating, and supporting innovative products and services that allows our customers to succeed. WestGroupe offers a premium selection of globally recognized proprietary eyewear brands including KLiiK denmark, FYSH, EVATIK, Superflex® and OTP.
Myopia Profile, the globally recognized clinical myopia management information center for eye care professionals (ECPs), announced significant growth of traffic and engagement on its website, www.myopiaprofile.com. The 50% year-over-year increases signal widespread and accelerating interest in myopia etiology, prevention, interventions, and clinical practices.
Innovative features and expanded functionalities were added to the site last year to offer more comprehensive product and scientific information. The subsequent surge in usage reflects continued interest in ECP demand for myopia resources and educational materials for their practices, further advancing the myopia management category and positive patient outcomes.
“Revamping our website was a significant undertaking, and the payoff has been truly rewarding as we reviewed the year-end results. With over 200 countries seeking information on diverse topics in myopia and children’s vision care, it’s evident that there’s huge appetite for high quality and effective content. We’re delighted to offer invaluable and ever-expanding resources, aiding in the fight against the escalating myopia epidemic.”
Dr. Kate Gifford, co-founder, Myopia Profile
The top six countries accessing Myopia Profile’s free content were the United States, India, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, and Singapore, respectively. Users explored a diverse range of topics, encompassing axial length, myopia control spectacle lenses, contact lenses, and atropine; clinical techniques for children, and adult myopia management.
Notably, the site’s new search feature and world-first Myopia Control Product Compendium revealed significant interest in spectacle lenses such as Stellest® and MiYOSMART, as well as for MiSight® 1 day myopia control contact lenses. Searches related to atropine also demonstrated substantial growth.
In addition, Myopia Profile observed significant growth on www.mykidsvision.org, its consumer-facing website dedicated to providing parents with accessible, evidence-based information on myopia and its management at no cost. The platform aims to enhance awareness and education, with visitors soaring following extensive upgrades completed about 18 months ago. Here, orthokeratology and atropine emerged as the top-performing and fastest-growing search terms.
Additionally, there has been a rise in searches regarding axial length and screen time, suggesting a transfer of prevention and care information from ECPs to caregivers. The three most popular topics were screen time, atropine eye drops, and spectacles.
“We consistently engage with users to ensure we deliver the most relevant information tailored to their needs and practices,” said Dr. Gifford. “By listening to their feedback, in combination with keeping our eyes on the latest research, we can update our site with the most current information available. This ongoing process is rewarding because we understand that we are delivering precisely what ECPs need to assist their patients effectively.”
VuePoint IDS, the publisher of Optik, EyeCareBusiness Canada, and IMAGINEM Magazine, is pleased to announce the appointment of Louise Courville, a distinguished leader with an extensive background in both the optical and medical device sectors as well as in digital marketing, as Account Executive and Business Development Manager.
With over 25 years of dedicated experience, Louise has made significant contributions to the industry, demonstrating a deep commitment to excellence and innovation.
Louise’s professional journey is highlighted by her tenure at leading global optical device companies, where she utilized her expertise to foster growth, spearhead strategic initiatives, and guide teams towards notable achievements.
As a seasoned digital sales and marketing expert, Louise has excelled in full-cycle sales, adapting to the dynamic changes in marketing automation and AI. Her strategic insight and commitment to excellence have made her a trusted adviser in the industry.
Notably, as a regional sales manager for top ophthalmic device companies in the US, she led her teams to innovate marketing strategies and significantly influence the market. Louise has now returned to Canada, ready to apply her considerable experience and strategic vision to her new role at VuePoint.
Looking Ahead with Louise:
As Louise Courville steps into her new role, she brings a wealth of knowledge and a proven track record of success. Her extensive experience in the optical sector and with digital marketing positions her as a valuable asset to the VuePoint team.
“Louise’s strategic vision and leadership abilities are set to play a pivotal role in driving VuePoint’s growth and innovation, ensuring we continue to lead in the optical industry,” said David Pietrobon, President of VuePoint.
“The VuePoint family is excited about the expertise and passion she brings to the team and look forward to the contributions she will make towards our continued success.”
Transitions® GEN S™, the ultra-responsive to light lens from TransitionsOptical has launched in Canada. The launch marks a technological revolution, inviting wearers on a journey of innovation. Through randomized controlled clinical trials, some of the world’s leading, independent vision experts have demonstrated that Transitions GEN S provides better vision quality, faster1.
“People want more from their eyeglasses than just correction, and Transitions GEN S delivers, going above and beyond their expectations. Our research and development team created a revolutionary lens that is not only intuitive and smart but allows for an elevated experience of complete pairing opportunities through a large colour palette that enables wearers to personalize their looks with vibrant colours to match any frame.”
Arnaud Rajchenbach, Marketing and Sales Manager, Transitions Optical in Canada
Revealed in February at Transitions Academy in Orlando, Florida, Transitions GEN S, has already been receiving spectacular feedback from wearers. “… they are quick. That speed to me is unlike anything I’ve ever seen before,” commented one wearer.
Watch the full video on wearer’s reactions and feedback to the new lens:
“Patients deserve the best vision care we can offer, and light management is key. To achieve its mission, Transitions Optical offers a solution for comprehensive vision that goes beyond traditional correction. Today, we have a real opportunity to improve patients’ vision care with Transitions GEN S lenses. We call it HD vision at the speed of your life: see well in all light conditions, dynamic, intuitive, and adaptive, with better vision quality, faster1. It is set to become a key recommendation for eyecare professionals,” said Rajchenbach. “Why prescribe a traditional, static lens when wearers can have Transitions GEN S ultra-dynamic lenses that fit their lifestyle?”
Transitions GEN S delivers unparalleled performances with a unique vision: to embrace the synergy of speed, darkness and colour without sacrificing any other performance aspect.
Transitions New Genius GEN S
GEN SPEED™: Ultra-responsive to Light
Transitions GEN S is the fastest dark lens2 in the clear to dark photochromic category. It is fully clear indoors and darkens in seconds3 outdoors. It is ultra-responsive to light, reaching category three levels of darkness in 25 seconds4* and fading back in less than two minutes5*. In fact, when asked 88% of wearers agreed that Transitions GEN S lenses adapted so fast to light that they didn’t or barely noticed the change6*.
GEN STYLE™: Spectacular Colour Palette
Transitions GEN S is available in eight exclusive colours, including a brand-new addition: Transitions GEN S ruby. All colours have been optimised to be true to tone at all stages, offering vibrant tints in any light. While being fully clear indoors, and beautifully coloured outdoors, Transitions GEN S provides endless possibilities of pairing to complement any look.
GEN SMART™: HD Vision at the Speed of Your Life
Transitions GEN S offers better vision quality, faster to ensure a continuous visual experience7A* versus clear lenses. During fade back, tests have shown a 39.5% improvement in contrast sensitivity7B* and 40% faster vision recovery 7B* versus the previous generation.
Moreover, Transitions GEN S provides ultimate light protection, darkening outdoors, blocking 100 percent UVA & UVB rays and filtering up to 32 percent of blue violet light in the clear state and up to 85 percent when activated8.
Transitions GEN S innovation elevates the vision experience from a must wear to a ‘love wear’ experience that follows the ever-changing rhythm of life.
*Tests carried out on grey lenses. Photochromic performance may vary across colours and lens materials and is influenced by temperature and UV exposure.
REFERENCES
1. Vision quality improved in challenging light conditions, notably when moving from a bright to a darker environment (source B, Transitions® GEN S™ compared to Transitions Signature GEN 8), in bright to very bright light situations (source A, Transitions® GEN S™ compared to clear lenses) and in low light with peaky stray light (source A, Transitions® GEN S™ compared to clear lenses).
2. For gray lenses in the clear to dark (category 3) photochromic category. Transitions® GEN S™ lenses fade back faster to 70% transmission while achieving less than 14% transmission when activated at @ 23°C.
3. For polycarbonate & CR39 lenses across colors achieving 18% transmission at 23°C.
5. For gray polycarbonate & CR39 lenses with a premium anti-reflective coating fading back to 70% transmission @ 23°C.
6. Source: Wearers Test conducted by an external market research agency in the US in Q1, 2023 with 135 prescription lens wearers wearing 1.67 index lenses with a premium AR coating in gray Transitions® GEN S™.
7. A: Subject-masked cross-over randomized controlled investigation performed in 2023 on 30 healthy participants (19.2 ± 1.3 years). Testing light stress (discomfort and disability glare, photostress recovery) with the clear and darkest states of gray Transitions® GEN S™ 1.6 index lenses with a premium anti-reflective coating compared to clear 1.6 index lenses with a premium anti-reflective coating. Principal Investigator Prof Billy R. Hammond.
7. B: Subject-masked cross-over randomized controlled investigation performed in 2023 on 10 healthy pre-trained participants (29.5 ± 4.0 years). Testing contrast sensitivity during fade back with gray Transitions® GEN S™ 1.6 index lenses with a premium anti-reflective coating compared to gray Transitions Signature GEN 8 1.6 index lenses with a premium anti-reflective coating. Principal Investigator Prof Pablo Artal. Accepted abstract at ARVO 2024. Duarte-Toledo R, Mompeán J et al., A new photochromic lens improves contrast sensitivity during fade back.
8. For polycarbonate and CR39 lenses across colors. Blue-violet light is measured between 400nm and 455nm (ISO TR 20772:2018).
To make an even greater impact on People + Planet, CooperVision and Plastic Bank have renewed their net plastic neutrality partnership through 2026. With the extension, the partnership has expanded to include a vision care program to provide vision screenings and vouchers for complimentary eye exams and glasses for eligible Plastic Bank collection members in Indonesia, who are essential to CooperVision’s net plastic neutral partnership with Plastic Bank.1
Expanding Commitment to People + Planet
In partnership with Plastic Bank, CooperVision funds the collection and recycling of ocean-bound plastic equivalent to the weight of plastic used across a range of its participating soft contact lenses, including the lens, blister and packaging components, that are sold and distributed across 27 countries throughout the Americas, Europe, and Asia-Pacific.*2 To date, the effort has prevented the equivalent of more than 305 million plastic bottles from entering the oceans, and through the extension,†2 CooperVision expects to more than double the total impact of its plastic neutrality initiative with Plastic Bank by the end of 2026.‡§3
“The first three years of our partnership with Plastic Bank have had a significant impact in not only helping clean coastal communities by recycling plastic waste, but also in improving the livelihoods and economic stability of collection members. As a global leader in contact lenses, CooperVision is committed to helping improve the way people see each day because it improves quality of life. Our collaboration with Plastic Bank now enables us to provide vision correction for qualifying collection members who are making a difference by removing plastic from the environment and oceans, which truly embodies our passion for supporting people and planet.”
Aldo Zucaro, Senior Director of Corporate Responsibility at CooperCompanies2,4
CooperVision’s Vision Care Initiative: Empowering Indonesian Collectors
By the end of 2026, hundreds of collection members in Indonesia will be eligible to receive vision screenings through the new vision care program.1
“At Plastic Bank, we envision a wasteless world and are committed to empowering communities and local entrepreneurs to end poverty. Collection members have limited access to basic eye care, and for many, this will be the first time they have received vision screenings and necessary vision correction. We know that vision impairment can affect quality of life, independence, and mobility. Working with CooperVision is not only bringing significant social benefits to our communities, but it is also bringing our vision of ending poverty to life.”
David Katz, Founder of Plastic Bank
CooperVision is continuously working to minimize environmental impact and operate more sustainably around the globe as part of broader efforts across CooperCompanies to contribute to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Through the net plastic neutrality initiative, CooperVision and Plastic Bank have a shared commitment to protecting the planet, specifically by advancing life below water (SDGs 14 and 17) and responsible consumption and production (SDG 12).5 Research has shown that improved eye health reduces poverty and improves productivity and advances general health and well-being as well as educational outcomes (SDGs 1, 3, 4, 5, 8, 10, and 11).6
Collaboration to Enhance Environmental and Social Impact
The expanded partnership coincides with the relaunch of CooperVision’s sustainability platform, with a focus on reducing our carbon footprint, removing waste from our processes, and reframing our relationship with plastic, including considering ways to make plastic better. At the center of our sustainability platform is our commitment to design with intention and to embrace innovation as a means for caring for People + Planet. Our sustainability commitments include:
We design – and continuously redesign – to reduce our carbon footprint;│¶** 7
We collaborate and innovate, embracing our ingenuity to care for our planet and for each other;
We’re taking steps to conserve limited natural resources│†† 7 and are exploring ways to bring renewables into our manufacturing operations;‡‡§§ 7
By starting to offset waste from our products and packaging that cannot yet be reclaimed, we’re taking strides to improve the well-being of our planet;7 and
We work with partners to collect our manufacturing waste, recapturing resources and giving them new life when possible.||
“By simply prescribing and wearing CooperVision plastic-neutral contact lenses, eye care professionals and wearers are helping us in our commitment to sustainability—from our partnership with Plastic Bank, which focuses on improving communities through waste reclamation, to recovering and repurposing our own manufacturing waste, to sourcing responsibly,” said Zucaro.
* Plastic used in participating CooperVision soft contact lens products is determined by the weight of plastic in the blister, the lens, and the secondary package, including laminates, adhesives, and auxiliary inputs (e.g. ink). The determination does not include plastic used during the manufacturing process for both these products and their packaging.
† CooperVision, through its collaboration with Plastic Bank, has enabled the collection and conversion of approximately 5.3M kg of plastic destined for waterways as of January 2024. Using Plastic Bank’s metric of 1kg of plastic equaling 50 standard 202mm bottles, that will be the equivalent of approximately 263.7M plastic bottles not reaching our oceans.
‡ Plastic Bank uses 1 kg of plastic equal to 50 bottles.
§ Though its collaboration with Plastic Bank, CooperVision plans to have supported the collection and conversion of approximately 10.8M kg of plastic destined for waterways by the end of calendar 2026. Using Plastic Bank’s metric of 1 kg of plastic equaling 50 standard 202mm bottles, that will be the equivalent of approximately 541M plastic bottles from reaching our oceans.
| Refers to continuous manufacturing process undertaken by CooperVision to reduce its Scope 1 and 2 carbon emissions.
¶ Carbon footprint is limited to Scope 1 and 2 emissions, defined as: Scope 1 emissions are direct emissions from owned or controlled sources. Scope 2 emissions are indirect emissions from the generation of purchased energy.
** CooperVision’s 2022 Environmental, Social, and Governance Report.
†† Natural resources are defined as, but not limited to, water, nitrogen, natural gas, and other organic compounds.
‡‡ Renewables are defined as materials or energies that can be sustained indefinitely because of inexhaustible supplies or new growth.
§§ CooperVision utilizes renewable materials and energies in its manufacturing operations.
|| CooperVision’s 2020 Environmental, Social, and Governance Report.
Plastic Bank data on file, 2024.
CVI data on file, 2024.
CVI data on file, 2024-2026 Plastic Bank Agreement.
Zhang J, Ramke J, et al. Advancing the Sustainable Development Goals through improving eye health: a scoping review. The Lancet Planetary Health. March 2022, 6(3):E270-280.
The American Academy of Optometry (AAO) was recognized as a Cochrane Eyes and Vision (CEV) Center for Evidence-based Vision Care during Academy 2024 Indianapolis, November 6-9, 2024.
K-774’s retro-inspired look features patterned base acetate and custom lamination on the temple, creating a striking look where colours blend seamlessly.
Delve into the world of night vision technology. From thermal imaging to infrared systems, explore how these innovations improve our ability to see in the dark.
The American Academy of Optometry (AAO) was recognized as a Cochrane Eyes and Vision (CEV) Center for Evidence-based Vision Care during Academy 2024 Indianapolis, November 6-9, 2024.
K-774’s retro-inspired look features patterned base acetate and custom lamination on the temple, creating a striking look where colours blend seamlessly.
Delve into the world of night vision technology. From thermal imaging to infrared systems, explore how these innovations improve our ability to see in the dark.
The American Academy of Optometry (AAO) was recognized as a Cochrane Eyes and Vision (CEV) Center for Evidence-based Vision Care during Academy 2024 Indianapolis, November 6-9, 2024.
K-774’s retro-inspired look features patterned base acetate and custom lamination on the temple, creating a striking look where colours blend seamlessly.
Delve into the world of night vision technology. From thermal imaging to infrared systems, explore how these innovations improve our ability to see in the dark.
The American Academy of Optometry (AAO) was recognized as a Cochrane Eyes and Vision (CEV) Center for Evidence-based Vision Care during Academy 2024 Indianapolis, November 6-9, 2024.
K-774’s retro-inspired look features patterned base acetate and custom lamination on the temple, creating a striking look where colours blend seamlessly.
Delve into the world of night vision technology. From thermal imaging to infrared systems, explore how these innovations improve our ability to see in the dark.
