Eastman signs licensing agreement with High Performance Optics

High Performance Optics has completed a Development and Licensing Agreement with Eastman Chemical Company for the incorporation of Selective Blue Light Filtering technology into films and interlayers for use in automotive, architectural and electronics applications.

HPO has been working, testing and evaluating opportunities with Eastman since 2015 for filtering dangerous blue light/high energy visible light (HEVL) within industrial applications that will protect the human retina and skin.

“This is an enormous step taken with an industry leader and innovator, Eastman Chemical, to protect the world from the dangers related to HEVL,” said Larry Rodriguez chief executive officer, HPO.

“The collaboration with HPO is another step in our commitment to creating innovative solutions that enhance the quality of life for our customers,” said Travis Smith, vice president and general manager of Eastman Performance Films and Advanced Interlayers. “We have been testing and evaluating this technology with HPO for several years and look forward to bringing this valuable technology to market.”

HPO has been a world leader in the intellectual properties and technology development space for BLF for over 10 years. Their early focus was on applications in and around ophthalmic lens products. HPO has licensed and developed technology for the largest companies in the world for selectively filtering high energy visible light in/on these products.

“In December of 2013, HPO started to evaluate applications to advance protection from HEVL outside of the eyewear space,” Rodriguez added. “Specific commercial applications that would have high consumer utilization that could offer enormous impact to the number of humans that would be protected from damaging HEVL. Auto windshields, auto side glass, industrial building glass and electronics applications were all identified as opportunities to provide protection. Eastman, a leader in innovation, has been evaluating these opportunities with HPO for over four years. They have been a terrific application evaluation partner and now will be our development and commercial partner for this space.”

HPO has eight major projects underway with various global giants across multiple industries evaluating future opportunities to disrupt the damage caused to the human body from HEVL. HPO’s Mission: “Protecting the World Through Innovation”. Eastman and HPO’s joint effort is a major step in achieving that Mission.

About HPO: HPO was founded in 2006 by Dr. Andrew Ishak OD FAAO, through work focused on protecting the human retina from High Energy Visible Light (HEVL). HPO’s first application opportunities were in the ophthalmic space where they have now Licensed Intellectual Property (IP) and Technology to some of the largest companies in the world. HPO IP and technology now offer protection for millions of eyes around the world from the dangers of HEVL. With nearly 100 patent applications issued or pending, HPO stands as the leader in Intellectual property and the development of technology for that purpose. HPO’s Vision “To Standardize Protection from HEVL in every application that can protect the human retina and skin."