Shamir highlights benefits of AI lens

“Today’s progressive lenses share one design, but does one design satisfy today’s needs?” Shamir asked attendees during a presentation at Mido last month (23–25 February).

The lens company was hosting the European launch of Autograph Intelligence, which debuted in the UK at 100% Optical in January.

Shamir’s new lens has been designed using “big data and artificial intelligence” to create 12 lens designs in one lens. Depending on the patient’s visual age, a lens design can be picked that suits their needs.

UK general manager at Shamir, Phil Bareham, explained: “We’ve created an artificial intelligence engine, which we put in over five million prescriptions that we’ve collected in our data over the years. That’s created these 12 designs around the power of the add.”

“The Autograph Intelligence launch is a ground-breaking product. It’s a simple lens that uses people’s visual age, which is determined by the add,” he added.

During the presentation, director of customer experience and trainer at Shamir, Shahar Ben-Ari explained that the company examined and connected the visual behaviour and preferences of presbyopes of all ages to create a ‘visual age’ – the required addition correlated with the patient’s age.

Mr Ben-Ari highlighted that near distance is important to older patients, while digital is more important to young presbyopes. With Autograph Intelligence, Shamir aims to provide different solutions to each visual age with 12 designs.

Highlighting the benefits of Autograph Intelligence, Mr Bareham told OT: “It will be the correct lens design to each customer’s needs. If they’re reading a tablet or driving, there will be an individual design for that need.”

Mr Bareham shared that Shamir will be going to practices to train practitioners in how easy it is to dispense the new lens. “We’ve done lots of wearer trials across the world and that has given us the tools to go in and train our customers on how to talk to their customers, so they can sell the features and benefits,” he said.