Let There Be Light Modulation

Earlier this year, Transitions® Optical launched its GEN S™ lens, heralding a “new standard for prescription glasses.” Available in eight colors, the lens responds to light in as little as two seconds, fading back to clear in less than two minutes (1), and is “the fastest dark lens in the clear-to-dark photochromic category.”

The lens is making a splash in the optical world, winning the Silmo d’Or award for Vision at the SILMO optical trade show in Paris in October 2024. But what of its potential for long-term eye health? We spoke to Anne Catherine Scherlen, Global Associate Marketing Director at Transitions Optical, to find out more.

How does the Transitions GEN S lens improve vision quality across various light environments?
 

When we talk about visual quality, this is based on refraction. I can go to the optometrist and achieve 20-20 vision in my eye exam. But the reality is that this exam has been done in one lighting condition – a static condition, with black and white letters.

Variations in light, however, deeply impact visual quality; the eye is continuously adapting to manage light exposure. For example, when I go outside in very bright light, my retina is exposed to light stress; my eye’s rods and cones have to adapt very quickly and regenerate the photopigment. At this time, my contrast sensitivity and visual quality are not at their best. Transitions GEN S lenses improve visual quality by responding rapidly to the light, whatever its exposure. A stabilized light dose means the retina is not overexposed; it doesn’t have to adapt continuously to variations in light density. Good light modulation leads to improved visual performance.

How do you see the lens benefiting patients with vision challenges or unique vision requirements?
 

For people with more fragile vision, light impacts their quality of vision more than it does a young, healthy eye. We know that older people take more time to recover their vision after looking at glare, for example. Similarly, age affects visual function in dark and low-light situations. Older eyes can thus benefit from a light modulation system to stabilize their vision.

For people with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) or glaucoma, light management is also complex. People with these conditions need more time to recover their vision in dark, low-light, or very bright-light situations. Also, those with anterior segment conditions such as dry eye can experience reduced contrast sensitivity when exposed to glare.

Eye care professionals should consider what kind of light exposure patients are facing in their daily lives. Checking patients’ eye anatomy, ocular surfaces, retina, etc., as well as taking into consideration factors like light exposure, can help to anticipate or understand some of their visual performance issues.

Can you outline the studies you have done with the new lens?
 

Globally, we have completed two clinical studies and another is under way. We worked with Billy Hammond, a professor at the UGA Vision Sciences Laboratory, University of Georgia, USA, to test visual performance in bright light situations (2). By precisely controlling light exposure we assessed how long it took for 30 healthy subjects to recover their optimal vision after a photostress. With GEN S lenses, vision recovery was 39 percent faster in bright light conditions, compared with a clear lens, and vision comfort improved by reducing palpebral reaction by 50 percent (Figures 2 & 3).

With Pablo Artal, Professor of Optics at the University of Murcia, Spain, we assessed dynamic  contrast sensitivity recovery time during  light variations when moving from outdoors to indoors (3). This study found that there was a 40 percent faster recovery time when transitioning back to clear state with GEN S lenses compared with our GEN 8 lenses, and 39.5 percent improved contrast sensitivity when transitioning back to clear state, with the greatest improvement occurring in the first minute (Figure 4).

What are your plans for future research into the benefits of the lens?
 

Ultra-fast dynamic lenses open new applications in the eye care field by improving vision quality faster compared to a clear lens in varying light situations (2, 3).

We will continue to study the role and impact of light on visual performances and related factors for all individuals, with a particular focus on those who express more pronounced symptoms to the light related to ocular fragilities.

Ultimately, we want to provide the best outcome for our customers, with dynamic lenses helping to preserve and optimize their eye health for the long term.