The Vision Council Announces Publication of ANSI Z80.1-2020 Prescription Ophthalmic Lenses - Recommendations

This standard applies to all prescription dress ophthalmic spectacle lenses in edged or assembled form and serves as a guideline for entities that fabricate, assemble or process dress eyewear or lens components. Furthermore, relevant optical, physical specifications and tolerances of this standard also apply to uncut lenses. Therefore, The Vision Council recommends that all members that have an interest in the field of prescription ophthalmic optics purchase a copy from the ANSI webstore.

To purchase the ANSI Z80.1-2020, Prescription Ophthalmic Lenses – Recommendations, click here.

Additionally, The Vision Council has created a Quick Reference Guide and Points of Interest Guide for our members.

ANSI Z80.1–2020 supersedes the 2015 Standard and represents five years of work by a team of industry experts including: chairman Dick Whitney, Manager of Global Standards at Carl Zeiss Vision; vice chairman Rick Tinson, Sr. Director of Revenue Management at Hoya Vision Care and secretary Dr. Karl Citek, OD, PhD, representing the American Optometric Association.

The 2020 revision represents the consensus of current industry experts and reflects the results of a thorough study by the ANSI Z80.1 committee on the relevance and applicability of its contents. The committee also reviewed comments and input received from past revisions and sought input from users of the standard.

Key revisions in ANSI Z80.1-2020 include:

• Methods to address claims in the area of transmittance
• Recommendations on standardizing claims for attenuation at given wavelengths (such as 400nm) and products that selectively attenuate specific wavelengths (such as Blue light)
• New terms and product classifications, including Power Variation lenses and specialized assistive lenses and their tolerances
• Guidance on how to handle localized power errors
• New Annex F to address focimeter capabilities
• New Annex G to address unintended prismatic imbalance

The Vision Council serves as the Secretariat Administrator for Accredited Standards Committee Z80, the group responsible for developing national standards that apply to prescription and non-prescription eyeglasses, contact lenses, ophthalmic instruments and medical devices including intraocular lenses and laser systems.

Please contact Michael Vitale, The Vision Council’s Senior Technical Director and Lens, Lab and Lens Processing & Technology Liaison, at mvitale@thevisioncouncil.org with any questions or concerns.