Acuvue
Encyclopedia
Acuvue is a brand of disposable contact lens
es. They are made by Vistakon, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson
.
During the 1970s, he developed a new material (etafilcon A) and began making soft lenses at Frontier. In 1981 he sold the company to Johnson & Johnson.
Johnson & Johnson
renamed Frontier Contact Lenses to Vistakon. With the acquisition of a very manual process - every employee on the production line, whether they were lathing, polishing or inspecting, handled the lenses - scaling up the business was very limited, so Vistakon decided to invest into a new production process.
Utilizing Stabilized Soft Molding (SSM) technology, Vistakon undertook a major overhaul in its production processes. As a result Acuvue was introduced to the market in 1986. The lens was originally indicated for seven-day extended wear and later became a daily wear lens. Today, there is a line which ranges from the 1-day wear to two-week lenses such as the Acuvue 2 and Oasys.
Today, all of Vistakon's manufacturing facilities are located in the United States
, with the exception of one plant located in Limerick
, Republic of Ireland
.
Two Weekly Disposable
Surevue was also produced by Vistakon but not under the Acuvue brand. Surevue contact lenses were a less expensive alternative to Acuvue.
Overall, the Limerick plant delivers its lenses in an extremely cost efficient manner, it is operationally more efficient than its U.S. counterpart with respect to lens cost and has delivered high quality lenses over the 15 years of its operation.
Contact lens
A contact lens, or simply contact, is a lens placed on the eye. They are considered medical devices and can be worn to correct vision, for cosmetic or therapeutic reasons. In 2004, it was estimated that 125 million people use contact lenses worldwide, including 28 to 38 million in the United...
es. They are made by Vistakon, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson
Johnson & Johnson
Johnson & Johnson is an American multinational pharmaceutical, medical devices and consumer packaged goods manufacturer founded in 1886. Its common stock is a component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the company is listed among the Fortune 500....
.
Overview
Acuvue lenses got their start at Frontier Contact Lens Company, a small company that started in the 1950s and opened a branch in Jacksonville. Headed by Seymour Marco, an optometrist, the company started to grow and, after a few years, Marco bought out the New York owners so he could significantly grow the business.During the 1970s, he developed a new material (etafilcon A) and began making soft lenses at Frontier. In 1981 he sold the company to Johnson & Johnson.
Johnson & Johnson
Johnson & Johnson
Johnson & Johnson is an American multinational pharmaceutical, medical devices and consumer packaged goods manufacturer founded in 1886. Its common stock is a component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the company is listed among the Fortune 500....
renamed Frontier Contact Lenses to Vistakon. With the acquisition of a very manual process - every employee on the production line, whether they were lathing, polishing or inspecting, handled the lenses - scaling up the business was very limited, so Vistakon decided to invest into a new production process.
Utilizing Stabilized Soft Molding (SSM) technology, Vistakon undertook a major overhaul in its production processes. As a result Acuvue was introduced to the market in 1986. The lens was originally indicated for seven-day extended wear and later became a daily wear lens. Today, there is a line which ranges from the 1-day wear to two-week lenses such as the Acuvue 2 and Oasys.
Today, all of Vistakon's manufacturing facilities are located in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, with the exception of one plant located in Limerick
Limerick
Limerick is the third largest city in the Republic of Ireland, and the principal city of County Limerick and Ireland's Mid-West Region. It is the fifth most populous city in all of Ireland. When taking the extra-municipal suburbs into account, Limerick is the third largest conurbation in the...
, Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
.
Family of Acuvue Brands
Daily Disposable Contact Lenses:- 1-Day Acuvue - hydrogel material (available for astigmatismAstigmatismAn optical system with astigmatism is one where rays that propagate in two perpendicular planes have different foci. If an optical system with astigmatism is used to form an image of a cross, the vertical and horizontal lines will be in sharp focus at two different distances...
)
- 1-Day Acuvue Moist - hydrogel material (available for astigmatismAstigmatismAn optical system with astigmatism is one where rays that propagate in two perpendicular planes have different foci. If an optical system with astigmatism is used to form an image of a cross, the vertical and horizontal lines will be in sharp focus at two different distances...
)
- 1-Day Acuvue TruEye - first silicone hydrogel daily disposable released 2008 in European Markets and 2010 in North America.
- 1-Day Acuvue Define - hydrogel material (UK release solely in BootsBoots UKBoots UK Limited , is a leading pharmacy chain in the United Kingdom, with outlets in most high streets throughout the country...
and D&A opticians in 2010)
- 1-Day Acuvue Define Accent - hydrogel material (Far East markets)
Two Weekly Disposable
- Acuvue 2 - hydrogel material
- Acuvue Advance - silicone hydrogel material (available for astigmatismAstigmatismAn optical system with astigmatism is one where rays that propagate in two perpendicular planes have different foci. If an optical system with astigmatism is used to form an image of a cross, the vertical and horizontal lines will be in sharp focus at two different distances...
)
- Acuvue Oasys - silicone hydrogel material (available for presbyopiaPresbyopiaPresbyopia is a condition where the eye exhibits a progressively diminished ability to focus on near objects with age. Presbyopia’s exact mechanisms are not known with certainty; the research evidence most strongly supports a loss of elasticity of the crystalline lens, although changes in the...
in US and astigmatismAstigmatismAn optical system with astigmatism is one where rays that propagate in two perpendicular planes have different foci. If an optical system with astigmatism is used to form an image of a cross, the vertical and horizontal lines will be in sharp focus at two different distances...
most other markets)
Surevue was also produced by Vistakon but not under the Acuvue brand. Surevue contact lenses were a less expensive alternative to Acuvue.
Vistakon, Limerick
The plant located in Limerick is one of the most advanced in the manufacturing of contact lenses since its opening in 1996. This plant has invested large sums in highly automated equipment.Overall, the Limerick plant delivers its lenses in an extremely cost efficient manner, it is operationally more efficient than its U.S. counterpart with respect to lens cost and has delivered high quality lenses over the 15 years of its operation.
External links
- Acuvue.com (official US website)
- Acuvue.co.uk (official UK website)
- JnJVisioncare.com (product guide) - for eye care professionals
- Lenses-now.com (consumer information) - Independent Consumer Guide for Contact Lenses