Essilor announces release of new progressive lens to improve vision comfort for presbyopes

The Physio extensee version is offered on a new patented dual-sided blank, while the Classic Edition is offered as a full backside digital progressive. Image credit: EssilorLuxottica

Essilor has developed 2 versions of its Varilux progressive lens that replicates the human pupil for high vision intensity in any light for visual sharpness and contrast.¹ Beginning on July 21, the Varilux Physio extensee and Varilux Physio extensee Classic Edition will be available in the US and are designed to provide correction for an individual wearer’s pupil dynamics to reduce high-order aberrations and cater to a wide range of presbyopes, according to a news release.

The Physio extensee version is offered on a new patented dual-sided blank, whereas the Classic Edition is offered as a full backside digital progressive.¹

“When the size of the pupil increases, the light beam entering the eye crosses a bigger portion of the lens,” said Sébastien Fricker, vision and perception modelling team manager at EssilorLuxottica, in the release. “As a result, it can contain more high-order aberrations and induce a loss in image quality. Therefore, accounting for pupil size variation in lens design is key for maximizing contrast perception and visual performance for wearers.”

According to the release, there is a market for presbyopes who need lenses that allow for the pupil to change sizes in different lighting situations. EssilorLuxottica notes that 39% of progressive lens wearers are very interested in corrective lenses designed to improve vision comfort regardless of light intensity.¹

Pupilizer lens technology, which helped actualize the lenses, was created by utilizing Varilux AI twinning technology that replicates thousands of wearer profiles, which allows for performing multiple tasks at all distances and in different light conditions. The technology then analyzes the data to predict a wearer’s pupil size variation. This technology is built into the Varliux Physio extensee progressive lens to reduce high-order aberrations and minimize distortion when light passes through the lens. Associating a prescription to a predicted pupil dynamism profile allows for the lens to be produced to closely match the wearer’s daily pupil variations.¹

“The pupil size is related to 4 parameters which have the most impact,” Fricker said in the release. “One is age and as we grow older our pupil size decreases. The others are related to the environment including the brightness, proximity, and the size of the object being viewed.

“The data from the pupil-variation modelling is fed into our digital twin allowing us to personalize the optical lens even further. When the lab receives a patient’s prescription, they will incorporate the pupil dynamic profile as part of the lens calculation to optimize and build the lens.”

Additionally, the lens utilizes Dual Booster lens surface technology to aid in optimizing near vision. The back and front sides of the dual-sided lens provide a magnification effect in the near vision zone without impacting the overall progressive power, according to Essilor. Synchroneyes lens technology also balances the left and right lenses’ designs to match power distributions and patterns of unwanted astigmatism in the management of binocular vision.¹

According to the release, when surveying 79 progressive lens wearers on their experience with the 2 versions of the lens, 94% experienced high vision intensity in any light, with 92% feeling confident in low light conditions. Of those wearing the Varilux Physio extensee and Dual Booster technology, 96% of participants experienced a high quality of vision at near. The lens can also include Near Vision Behavior measurement, which allows for 71% of participants to easily access the near vision zone and 78% of participants to experience extra comfortable vision during a long task in near vision.¹

Reference:

1. Essilor announces latest progressive lens innovation: Varilux Physio extensee progressive lenses. News release. EssilorLuxottica. July 2, 2025. Accessed July 9, 2025.