Trifocals are
eyeglasses
Glasses, also known as eyeglasses or spectacles, are vision eyewear, with lenses (clear or tinted) mounted in a frame that holds them in front of a person's eyes, typically utilizing a bridge over the nose and hinged arms (known as temples or ...
with
lenses
A lens is a transmissive optical device which focuses or disperses a light beam by means of refraction. A simple lens consists of a single piece of transparent material, while a compound lens consists of several simple lenses (''elements''), ...
that have three regions which correct for distance, intermediate (arm's length), and near vision.
John Isaac Hawkins
John Isaac Hawkins (1772–1855) was an inventor who practised civil engineering.
He was known as the co-inventor of the ever-pointed pencil, an early mechanical pencil, and of the upright piano.
Early life
Hawkins was born 14 March 1772 at Taun ...
developed the trifocal lens in 1827.
Trifocals are mostly used by people with advanced
presbyopia
Presbyopia is physiological insufficiency of accommodation associated with the aging of the eye that results in progressively worsening ability to focus clearly on close objects. Also known as age-related farsightedness (or age-related long si ...
who have been prescribed 2
diopter
A dioptre (British spelling) or diopter (American spelling) is a unit of measurement with dimension of reciprocal length, equivalent to one reciprocal metre, 1 dioptre = 1 m−1. It is normally used to express the optical power of a lens or cur ...
s or more of reading addition. The intermediate addition is normally half the reading addition. So, for someone with a distance prescription of −4 diopters and a reading addition of +3, the reading portion of their trifocals would have a net power of −1, and the intermediate segment would be −2.5 diopters.
Trifocal lenses are made in similar styles to
bifocals, but with an additional segment for intermediate vision above the reading section. A common style is the 7×28 flat-top or D-shaped segment, 28 mm wide, with a 7 mm high intermediate segment. Larger intermediate segments are available, and are particularly useful for people who spend a lot of time using computers.
Trifocals are becoming rarer as more people choose to wear
progressive lens
Progressive lenses, also called multifocal lenses, progressive addition lenses (PAL), varifocal lenses, progressive power lenses, graduated prescription lenses, or progressive spectacle lenses are corrective lenses used in eyeglasses to correct pr ...
es.
See also
*
Trifocal goggle
References
Corrective lenses
1827 introductions
{{Eye-stub