Profs Carly Sy Lam and Chi Ho To with their award-winning, myopia-correcting lenses

International ophthalmic lens company, Hoya Corp. has launched a new lens, MyoSmart with DIMS technology, designed to control myopia progression in children and teenagers.

The award-winning lens was developed over many years by Professors Carly Sy Lam and Chi Ho To of the School of Optometry at Hong Kong Polytechnic University. It incorporates “defocus incorporated multiple segments”, or DIMS technology, which employs multiple "micro-lens segments" providing myopic defocus and clear vision for the wearer, simultaneously.

In a two-year, double-blind randomised clinical trial involving 160 Chinese myopic children, aged 8 to 13, in Hong Kong, the lenses were shown to slow down myopia progression by 60%, while 21.5% of test subjects had their myopia progression halted completely. “The findings provide strong evidence that defocus lenses are effective in reducing myopia progression,” said Hoya in a statement.

The new technology won the Grand Prize at the 46th International Exhibition of Inventions of Geneva in April this year.

MySmart lenses have been launched in Hong Kong and China, with a broader, global launch expected to rollout in 2019/2020.