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Hi-tec glasses help people see better
Posted: 01.30.2012 at 7:16 PM
Gabrielle Mays

Weekend Anchor/Reporter

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The newest form of bifocals

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HOUGHTON -- A change is coming for those who wear eyeglasses. They're called emPower, an electronic-focusing eyewear by PixelOptics that can be adjusted with a touch of the temple.

"It has a liquid crystal in the inside of the lens, so you're able to touch the temple to turn on the eyewear to give you a close up on your reading and touch it again to turn it off. So then you have greater fields of width at the bottom," said Laura Prezell, sales manager for PixelOptics.

These new lenses are an innovative jump from the original bifocals with the thick line running halfway across the lenses. It's also a step up from progressive lenses where the eyeglass wearer has to tilt their head up and down to adjust their focus for distance or reading.

Experts say these new glasses can help eliminate shoulder and neck stress.

"It gives them a much more flexible focusing range because you're not just stuck with what's in a fixed lens. It would be like being able to change glasses," said Dr. Craig Kurtz, optometrist for the College Avenue Vision Clinic.

Part of the magic is in the frames, and it sends a signal to the lens to activate the crystals. There's also a manual and automatic mode where the user can be in control or the glasses can change focus when the user looks up and down.

The glasses do require charging, and when they are turned upright, the lens will blink three sets of flashes which tells how much of a charge is left. Experts say after a full night of charging, the glasses can last from two to three days.

The College Avenue Vision Clinic in Houghton says they are one of two in the U.P. who offer these glasses, and they are already available for anyone interested in regaining control in the focus of their distance.

The average retail price on the PixelOptics emPower lenses is around $1,500.

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