B&L-Nike developing athletic performance contact lenses

The collaborative effort is intended to create an extra glare-proof edge in sports

(June 2, 2005) — Bausch & Lomb Inc. wants to help athletes have a better chance of hitting the unhittable pitch, reaching the unreturnable serve, reading the unsinkable putt and achieving other impressive feats.

The Rochester eye care company is teaming with Nike Inc. to produce special contact lenses designed to improve performances on outdoor fields of play.

The new Nike MaxSight lenses by Bausch & Lomb are engineered to block specific wavelengths of light — mainly ultraviolet and blue — to reduce glare, enhance contrast and improve clarity. The idea is to help athletes see crisper images where balls or other elements of their sports appear to "pop out" against backgrounds.

The MaxSight line was jointly developed by B&L scientists in Rochester, working in collaboration with Nike researchers focused on the science of sport. They are being made at B&L's Optics Center on North Goodman Street, set to undergo a $25 million expansion of its manufacturing and research facilities.

"There's nothing more important in sports than vision. This is giving people the opportunity to have vision that goes beyond their corrected levels," said Dr. Justin J. Verrone of Eye Site of Penfield, who will be among the first optometrists in the Rochester area to prescribe the daily-wear lenses, which the company says should be replaced monthly. "This is a piece of a puzzle that can help create an edge."

MaxSight — and B&L's role in the project — are about to get some significant nationwide publicity. This week's Sports Illustrated mentions the lenses; MaxSight is also expected to be mentioned in USA Today Friday and on the ESPN cable network on Saturday.

Players try lenses

The media lens will likely focus to some degree on Brian Roberts of the Baltimore Orioles, a former member of the Rochester Red Wings. Roberts, who plays second base, has worn the MaxSight lenses in four or five day games this year. He's having a breakthrough year, leading the American League with a .368 batting average.

He said in a phone interview this week that the lenses have helped reduce eye strain on sunny days — but haven't necessarily given him an advantage at the plate.

"I don't think there's any magic trick that can help you see the laces on a ball traveling 95 mph," Roberts said before the Orioles played the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday. He notes that the biggest advantage is that the lenses keep him from squinting. His description: "It's kind of like wearing sunglasses all the time."

The lenses are the outgrowth of an unlikely venture between B&L and the company that urges its athletically minded customers to "just do it."

Nike is probably best-known for the cachet of its sneakers and other athletic footwear, which are found in virtually every shoe store and worn by professionals such as golfer Tiger Woods and Cleveland Cavaliers basketball player Lebron James.

But Nike also markets clothing, equipment and accessories and conducts a wide range of research to improve athletic performance. The company, based in Beaverton, Ore., employs specialists in biomechanics, exercise physiology, engineering, industrial design and related fields. It approached B&L to collaborate on the project.

While the lenses are designed to aid visual performance in athletic settings, they can also be worn daily off the field of play, said Dr. William T. Reindel, director of scientific and clinical affairs at B&L. By reducing eye strain, "the lenses help athletes relax, so they compete better," Reindel said.

The partnership pairs Nike's research into the ways colors affect sports — for instance, blue skies, white balls and green grass — with B&L's understanding of vision science and experience in contact lens design and manufacturing.

Baseball players, for instance, said "they had never seen the ball so soon off the pitcher's hand, and that helps with accuracy," said John D. Stewart, director of vision care global strategy for B&L.

One set of test subjects came from the Division III baseball team at Pacific University in Oregon. A group of players wore the lenses at various times over two seasons.

Coach Greg Bradley asked to be allowed to test the lenses first. "I am not a contact lens wearer, but when I put them in, it was 'Wow,'" Bradley said in an interview. "It cleared out things a bit."

He said there is some statistical evidence that players wearing the lenses improved their performances.

B&L and Nike are continuing to collaborate on projects such as lenses to improve vision during night games. Other applications are conceivable but the current focus is on athletes, B&L spokeswoman Margaret Graham said.

The lenses will be available in late summer. B&L does not set retail prices but expects a box of six lenses to sell for $50 to $60.

BRAND@DemocratandChronicle.com