Next generation of in-mass photochromic technology

Mitsui Chemicals is the world-leading manufacturer of thiourethane based materials for ophthalmic lenses. MR™ series has superior characteristics of a high refractive index: clear visibility, high mechanical strength and durability, and flexible design. It has been adopted by lens manufacturers worldwide as the global standard for thin and light-weight ophthalmic lens materials.

It has been considered chemically difficult to incorporate photochromic dyes into MR™ series lens, a thiourethane-based lens and achieve sufficient photochromic performance when exposed to ultraviolet light. However, Mitsui Chemicals has succeeded in developing SunSensors™ MR™ series, photochromic lens materials that maintain the characteristics of MR™ series while providing excellent photochromic performance. The world’s first lens material has superb photochromic performance with high response speed owing to desirable structure shift of photochromic dyes. This was achieved by expertise of our original dispersion technology produced by combining nanotechnology with our capability of developing ophthalmic lens materials that our group has accumulated over many years. With this new product, it is possible to produce photochromic lenses using existing lens casting processes without diminishing the optical transparency and mechanical strength.