SHAPING THE EVOLUTION OF SPECIALTY LENSES

Since its foundation by Renato Liffredo, Advance Medical has helped shape the evolution of the specialty contact lens industry. From early CAD/CAM adoption in lens manufacturing to the development of one of the first integrated software environments for specialty lens production, our work has consistently pushed technical and operational boundaries. Over the years, we have introduced innovations that redefined how laboratories design and manufacture lenses for improved patient vision.

1. Early CAD/CAM adoption in lens manufacturing

2. Among the first MES platforms for specialty labs

3. Digital and 3D simulation tools for R&D

4. Ray-tracing for high-definition lens design

5. First licensing platform for design distribution

6. Integrated ecosystem across lathes and metrology

7. HOA correction for advanced custom lenses

This commitment to innovation has been recognized by the industry through awards such as the EFCLIN Technology Award and the CLMA Trailblazers Award. What follows is not just a timeline, it is the progression of a continuous effort to redefine what is possible in the specialty contact lens industry.

• 1988
  FOUNDATION
  Advance Medical is founded on the vision of Renato Liffredo to provide advanced solution in optics.
  
• 1990
  INITIAL STEPS
  Advance focuses on different areas, including the creation of a new CNC ultra-precision Lathe and the development of an intra-ocular lens company in France, Biotech.
  
  
  
• 1994
  CONTACT LENS DESIGN SW
  Experience gained in the Lathe and IOL business spurs the idea of developing FocalPoints Designer a groundbreaking design software based on ray-tracing technology, aimed at facilitating the job of lens designers.
  
  
• 1996
  WORKSHOP DEVELOPMENT
  Heralds the launch of FocalPoints Workshop, a manufacturing suite poised to transform the contact lens industry. This development integrates state-of-the-art technology with a novel user experience, aiming to optimize the production process for specialty contact lenses.
  
• 1997
  LATHES INTEGRATION
  Advance Medical forges a strategic collaboration with DAC and AMETEK Lathes, marking a significant milestone in the company's history. This collaboration led to the integration between our software solution and their precision lathes.
  
  
• 1998
  CIBA PROJECT
  Advance collaborates with Ciba Vision to create highly advanced multi-focal contact lenses.
  
• 2000
  B+L COLLABORATION
  Advance signs a joint collaboration with Polymer Technology to promote FocalPoints in the American market and Advance to provide tools/services for the usage of Polymer Technology's materials.
  
  
• 2002
  EFCLIN TECH AWARD
  Renato Liffredo, founder and CEO of Advance, receives the prestigious EFCLIN technology award for his contribution to the advancement of the CL Specialty industry.
  
• 2004
  EXPANSION IN USA
  FocalPoints gains prominence in the US market and is being widely embraced by renowned contact lens manufacturers, including Art Optical, Bausch+Lomb, Essilor, and Metro Optics.
  
  
• 2008
  SPECIAL FEATURES
  Surpassing the 100,000 lenses mark, FocalPoints Special Features offer substantial benefits compared to traditional methods. These powerful tools accelerate lens designers' workflow and eliminate the need for intricate calculations.
  
• 2009
  LICENSING PLATFORM
  Introduces the industry's first contact lens Licensing Platform. This pioneering platform remains the sole solution of its kind, enabling Design Owners to securely license and manufacture their designs for fellow FocalPoints users.
  
  
• 2010
  ROSE-K DEVELOPMENT
  Advance Medical, in collaboration with Paul Rose, and Menicon Japan, embarks on an ambitious project to use Rose-K designs in FocalPoints, reaching a new development breakthrough while also unlocking licensing opportunities on a global scale.
  
  
• 2012
  ONE MILLION MARK
  Reaches a historic milestone of one million lenses manufactured through FocalPoints in a single year, showing our commitment to innovation for the advancement of the contact lens specialty industry.
• 2014
  HYBRID MATERIALS
  Achieves a new accomplishment by becoming the first designing and manufacturing software equipped to handle the complexities of hybrid materials.
• 2017
  FOUR MILLION MARK
  Advance Medical achieves a new remarkable milestone: four million lenses manufactured in one year through FocalPoints.
• 2019
  EDOF LENSES
  Successfully implements Extensive Depth of Field (EDOF) lenses in FocalPoints. These lenses revolutionize the way individuals experience vision, providing an extended depth of field that enhanced visual clarity across varying distances.
• 2020
  DEVICES INTEGRATION
  Advance Medical integrates critical lens inspection equipment such as the Rotlex Brass, Contest, and the Lambda-X Nimo, being on the forefront of recognizing the importance of metrology in the CL specialty industry.
  
• 2021
  ISO CERTIFICATION + EFCLIN
  Advance Medical obtains its first ISO 13485 certification, demonstrating its commitment to elevated quality standards and a relentless pursuit of improvement.
  Advance Medical becomes an esteemed member of EFCLIN, further solidifying its position in the industry.
  
• 2022
  LATHES INTEGRATION
  FocalPoints finalizes the integration with REM VT and Schneider OM, offering our clients an unparalleled array of choices. Additionally, we introduce the Conforming Arbour feature — a vital tool for precision cutting, mirroring the geometry of a Contact Lens base curve, further enhancing FocalPoints capabilities.
  Marks the year when we started our ESG initiatives by building a certified forest around the globe with hundreds of trees with the help of Treedom.
  
  
• 2023
  MFG LIVE DASHBOARD
  Releases the Manufacturing Live Dashboard, enhancing oversight of the manufacturing process with its real-time KPI analysis.
  Adds the Optimec is830 lens imaging to the list of instruments integrations, and FocalPoints is a registered trademark in EU.
  
  
  
  Advance Enhances the collaborations with Contamac and Acuity Polymers to include their materials specs in FP.
  
• 2024
  30 YEARS MILESTONE
  Marking the 30th anniversary of FocalPoints, Advance joins the CLMA, testifying its commitment to the industry.
  Enhances FocalPoints integrations, extending its lineup to include REM's LML 1000 external laser engraver, Optocraft cito+prio wavefront power mappers, OCULUS family of topographers, and Optimec's Map Tray inspection station which is the first equipment taking advantage of the Nexus Automation Hub.
  
  Introduces the PCE, an advanced solution for measuring and analyzing complex lenses, by comparing the expected and actual power maps.
  
• 2025
  THE HOA REVOLUTION
  enVisus^® HOA Correction Special Feature redefines the possibilities of contact lens design by enabling FocalPoints users to correct Higher-Order Aberrations (HOAs), with the support of multiple systems, including OVITZ, iTrace, and NIDEK, giving labs endless possibilities.
  FocalPoints expands its integration with third-party web platforms like SimuLENS, creating digital fitting sets, reducing lab workload, and giving ECPs an easy tool that connects with your lab via our GATEWAY.
  
  
• 2026
  CLMA TRAILBRAZERS AWARD
  Our own Lorenzo Benelli receives the CLMA Trailblazers Award, recognizing outstanding achievement in product development and the role of software in advancing the specialty contact lens industry.
  2026 will be about building on strong foundations while opening new paths forward. By connecting proven expertise with fresh ideas and emerging technologies, we continue to shape what’s next for specialty contact lens design and manufacturing.
• WHAT'S NEXT?
  We continuously introduce new solutions by listening closely to our clients and working alongside the specialty contact lens community to turn real needs into meaningful innovation.