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Information For Eye Care Professionals

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The Vision Council  >  Members   >  Divisions   >  Lens Processing Technology Division   >  Activities

Activities

The Lens Processing Technology Division involves over 20 leading lens equipment manufacturers. As a collective unit, The Vision Council's LPT Division:

• Monitors existing industry standards
• Establishes new standards based on industry change
• Creates industry accepted compliance procedures

Committees and Task Forces

The LPT Division also forms standing committees and ad hoc task forces of volunteer experts to address technical issues in response to member needs. The groups routinely meet, often in conjunction with the International Vision Expo trade shows, to solve shared technical problems that affect industry.

Committees and task forces that operate under the Lens Processing and Technology Division:

• In-Office Processing Campaign
• Data Communication Standard and Direct Surface Task Force
• Lens Bevel Task Force
• Sustainability Task Force (jointly with Lens Division)

In-Office Processing Campaign

Research shows that many of today's eye care providers do not currently process lenses in-house due to several misperceptions - cost, footprint requirements, staffing, etc. During the 2011 Executive Summit in January, The Lens Processing Technology (LPT) Division created a taskforce to jumpstart a campaign designed to educate eye care providers about the benefits of in-office processing.

The campaign employs print advertisements, eblasts, Vision Expo show promotions and other tools to drive traffic to the campaign website, www.inofficeprocessing.com. Contact Ken Wood at kwood@thevisioncouncil.org for more information on how to participate.

Data Communication Standard Task Force and Direct Surfacing Task Force/DCS Unified Task Force

The Data Communication Standard (DCS) Task Force and the Direct Surfacing Task Force (DSTF) comprise the DCS Unified Task Force. The DCS Unified Task Force produced and maintains the now-ubiquitous standard by which optical laboratory equipment and optical laboratory software systems interconnect. The DSTF task force extended the DCS to cover the interconnection of equipment, lab software systems and lens design software systems. Because both groups worked with the same standard data format and because there was substantial overlap in participants between the two groups, they were combined once the bulk of the DSTF effort was complete. The direct surfacing standard was folded into the DCS. The DCS is essentially identical to the international standard ISO 16284, which is based on this work.

Lens Bevel Task Force

The purpose of the Lens Bevel Task Force is to develop a standard nomenclature for describing a wide range of possible bevel profiles to aid in the uniform manufacturing of lens bevels across industry.

Sustainability Task Force

Reporting jointly to the Lens Division and Lens Processing and Technology Division leadership, this group was formed to find solutions to keep polycarbonate swarf out of landfills in the United States. The proposed model will be sustainable, reliable and cash flow positive or neutral. The group is comprised of lens suppliers, equipment suppliers, labs, recyclers and lens raw material suppliers.

For more information on The Vision Council technical programs, please contact technical director Jeff Endres at jendres@thevisioncouncil.org or at 703-740-2245.

Charitable Donations

Making optical products available to those in need is a goal shared by both The Vision Council and our members. In an effort to keep products and support flowing to charitable organizations, The Vision Council is happy to serve as the liaison between our members and charities in the optical industry.

We encourage members to contact us if they would like to donate surplus inventory or become more involved with charitable work. Donating excess inventory not only helps clean out your warehouse in preparation for the upcoming season, it also is a great way to receive a tax benefit. The Vision Council will work with both members and charities to make the transaction as easy and efficient as possible.

For more information, please contact The Vision Council's communications coordinator Jenna LaRoche at jlaroche@thevisioncouncil.org or at (703) 740-1099.