Got Fog?
Most people who wear glasses have found over the last few months that their lenses tend to fog up when face masks are added to the mix. This becomes an urgent issue for medical personnel where distorted vision through fogging can create hazardous conditions. It can be a problem for any wearer, but it’s critical for healthcare workers who require clear vision at all times.
Tip: “Our job is to provide designs that offer superior corrective vision, as well as eliminate factors that distort vision including fog buildup.”
To help, Shamir Insight, Inc., is currently piloting a technology called Shamir Glacier ™ Anti-Fog. The coating permanently prevents the build-up of vapor on the lens without any type of activator or rejuvenation spray.
The product was already scheduled to launch in North America at year’s end, but Shamir has accelerated manufacturing to launch it for healthcare workers within the coming weeks. Initially developed for athletes in 2018, the coating has already proven to be successful in markets across the world. Shamir has adapted the technology to meet current needs during this pandemic. Because special equipment is needed to produce Glacier Anti-Fog, the U.S. does not yet have the technologies or capabilities to currently mass produce the coating for consumers.
The Need
Shamir surveyed more than 950 consumers to determine the need. When asking those who wear both glasses and a mask, nearly four out of ten say their glasses always fog up. With another 40% saying their glasses sometimes fog, there’s definitely a need for this technology. When asked how disturbing it is, half of respondents say it’s critical or very disturbing.
Clearly, masks have become mainstream and in the process people who also wear glasses are recognizing fog as a problem.
The Priorities
Clearly, the priority is to initially provide the resources necessary for first responders and healthcare professionals who are wearing PPE, masks, and face shields in hospitals where COVID-19 is highly saturated.
As a staged rollout continues and more manufacturing becomes available, Glacier Anti-Fog will be made accessible to consumers through you, their ECPs. Updates and availability information will continue to be released over the next few months.
The Technology
Here are the important details about the Glacier ™ Anti-Fog with Duplex Technology
• THE FRONTSIDE includes Glacier Plus, a premium anti-reflective coating, as standard. That coating is designed to resist, repel, and reduce any dust, debris, and glare for optimal vision.
• THE BACKSIDE features the Glacier ™ Anti-Fog. That means no spray activators, cloth activators or rejuvenators are ever required. It collects and spreads water vapor on the lens in a pattern that preserves visual clarity. That makes it ideal for healthcare professionals and consumers, especially those who are wearing masks and are fully dressed in PPE clothing.
• THE PROCESS is described by Raanan Naftalovich, CEO of Shamir Insight, Inc. “Shamir is a fast and agile company. We are able to immediately shift R&D focus to products that benefit our customers and their patients. The Anti-Fog Duplex technology is a unique product in the optical world, in that two technologies are built into the lens that works amazingly well from the start to the end of a working shift. Our job is to provide designs that offer superior corrective vision, as well as eliminate factors that distort vision including fog buildup.”
To underscore the importance of this introduction, a portion of proceeds from Glacier Anti-Fog purchases will be donated to charity. To learn more about this technology, be sure to go to www.whenvisionmatters.com.
As you begin seeing more patients, are they complaining about discomfort and fogging resulting from wearing masks? If so, tell us about it and share in the conversation here on Facebook.
Erinn Morgan
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