ALEXANDRIA, Va.—The Vision Council’s Lens Division and Lens Product Description Standard Committee (LPDS) have announced changes to the Lens Description Standard, with additions to the standard in the color and filters categories. The updated standard—Lens Description Standard v. 2.2—includes the color violet, with a label of VIOn, and the High Energy Visible filter, with a label of HEV. The Lens Description Standard, which addresses the need for an industry-wide data file structure and related terminology, is for use by lens manufacturers in describing the technical attributes of lenses.

The standard provides a consistent method and nomenclature for describing the specifications and attributes of both finished and semi-finished spectacle lens blanks as supplied by the lens vendor, and provides a consistent and precise method for describing the geometry of non-spherical lens surfaces—including aspheric and progressive lens surfaces—to ensure accurate control of lens thickness during prescription processing.

“The Lens Description Standard remains the leading industry tool for lens manufacturers in describing the technical attributes of lenses. This standard allows suppliers of laboratory management software to accurately select and process prescription lenses, and includes data describing the front surface geometry of non-spherical lenses to enable accurate control of lens thickness,” said Michael Vitale, The Vision Council’s senior technical director and lens division liaison. “This standard replaces the many proprietary file formats used when supplying software vendors with lens specifications in electronic form.”

The Vision Council’s Lens Product Description Standard Committee meets on an as-needed basis to evaluate and make changes to the Lens Product Description Standard based on input from its users and members of The Vision Council.

For additional information, contact Vitale at mvitale@thevisioncouncil.org or (703) 548-2684.