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CONTACT LENSES

Contact Lens Info

This page will provide a brief overview of the major manufacturers whose contact lenses are distributed by Imperial Optical, as well as a general description of the primary contact lens types most commonly prescribed. For your convenience, there are links to the manufacuturers’ websites, where you can find more detailed information about their products.

More specific information pages for each lens supplied by Imperial Optical will be forthcoming in the near future. Check back in a few weeks to find more detailed contact lens information. Bausch & Lomb - Founded in 1853 and located in Rochester, NY, Bausch & Lomb has about 13,000 employees in 36 countries. In 1973, Bausch & Lomb introduced soft contact lenses, and became the first manufacturer of them. Bausch & Lomb is comprised of three large divisions – vision care, which is made up of contact lenses and eye care products; pharmaceuticals, which includes medications for eye diseases and other irritants; and surgery aids and implants. The company manufactures a comprehensive line of traditional, planned replacement disposable, daily disposable, multifocal, continuous wear and toric soft contact lenses as well as rigid gas permeable lenses. Popular Bausch & Lomb brands include SofLens® and Purevision™. Top of page

Alcon Vision - Alcon Vision, the eye care unit of Novartis Company, is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. The company considers itself to be a global leader in “research, development, and manufacturing of contact lenses and lens care products.” Alcon Vision is also the leading international provider of color contact lenses. Alcon Vision produces lenses such as Air Optix®, a high-oxygen, breathable lens; Focus Night and Day®, a high-oxygen, extended wear lens that can be worn continuously for up to 30 days; and Focus® Dailies®, the company’s line of daily disposable lenses. Top of page

CooperVision - Founded in 1979, CooperVision claims that it’s the world’s second largest contact lens manufacturer and the number one in production of toric contact lenses, which are prescribed to patients with astigmatism. Popular brands include Preference®, Frequency®, and Cooper Toric. CooperVision offers “some of the industry’s most advanced contact lens materials and lens designs, including the naturally wettable Aquaform™ and PC Technology™ family of products and the unique Balanced Progressive™ Technology” designs of multifocal lenses. Avaira™, a two-week replacement silicone hydrogel and Biofinity®, a monthly silicone hydrogel lens, are both popular options that utilize the Aquaform™ technology. Top of page

Hydrogel Vision - The company was incorporated in 2002 and is an independent subsidiary of Benz Research and Development, based in Sarasota, Florida, where the lenses are manufactured using a wet-processing technique and molds that construct themselves. Hydrogel Vision manufactures the Extreme H2O brand of lenses, which the company distributes in more than 36 countries worldwide. Extreme H2O lenses are made with Hydrogel Vision’s patented GMA-HEMA co-polymers, which have high levels of hydration and water retention properties. Top of page





1-2 Week Disposables - Weekly and biweekly disposables have become the mainstay of the contact lens industry. This lens type is generally worn for seven days of continuous wear (worn even while sleeping, 24 hours a day) or 14 days of daily wear (removed at night) and then discarded and replaced with a fresh pair. Top of page

Bifocal/Multifocal Lenses - New materials and technology have made contact lenses readily available for the growing number of Baby Boomers with presbyopia who have been forced to wear bifocal or multifocal glasses. Today, more and more presbyopic adults are shedding their glasses for the freedom and convenience of bifocal/multifocal contact lenses. Top of page

Colored Contact Lenses - There are three basic types of colored contact lenses: visibility tints, enhancement tints and opaque color tints. Visiblity tints make the contact lens easier to see and handle during insertion and generally are not visible when worn. Color enhancers and opaque colors that visibly enhance and change natural eye color are the most popular colored lenses. Most enhancement tints and opaque colored contact lenses are available for people who have astigmatism, who need bifocal correction, or who want a disposable or frequent replacement lens. For people who do not require vision correction, plano lenses (lenses without any correction) are available. Plano colored contacts are still a medical device and require fitting and a prescription from an eye care professional. Top of page

Daily Disposables - Recent advances in manufacturing techniques and materials have made daily disposable contact lenses -- contacts that you discard every night and replace in the morning with a new pair -- an affordable and convenient contact lens for many people. Today, if you require vision correction and wear contact lenses, there is a good likelihood you can find a daily disposable lens to meet your needs. Top of page

Monthly Disposables - This type of contact lens is generally recommended to be worn for 30 days and then discarded and replaced with a fresh pair. Depending on the particular lens material and your eye care providers' prescribed wearing schedule, monthly disposables are worn daily and removed/cleaned while you sleep; in some cases, monthly disposables are worn continuously for 30 days and then discarded. Again, you can find monthly disposable contact lenses to meet most vision correction needs. Top of page

Toric Contact Lenses - For many people who have astigmatism, disposable soft contact lenses have not been an option until recently. Today however, there are many comfortable, convenient, low-to-moderately priced toric contact lenses specifically designed to help correct astigmatism. If you have astigmatism and have been told in the past that contact lenses are not an option, you might want to contact your eye care provider to discuss new toric contact lens options. Top of page