You’ve probably noticed how eyewear has grown far beyond basic corrective lenses. However, you might be surprised to learn that this isn’t the only major development in the optical field. Thanks to recent advancements, you can feel more confident expressing yourself through your eyewear choices while also benefiting from earlier, more efficient detection of potential vision issues by your optometrist.
If you’re interested in becoming an optical technician, staying informed about advancements in the optical field can ensure you provide better care and more personalized solutions for your future patients.
Plus, if you’re considering enrolling in an Optical Technician program, now is a great time to start because you can take advantage of optical tech courses that integrate new technology with hands-on training.
What’s Changing in the Optical Field?
When you work in eye care today, you leverage innovations that improve the lives of patients around the world. As technology continues to advance in areas such as telemedicine, artificial intelligence, and augmented reality, you can offer more precise diagnoses and personalized recommendations for your patients. By using these tools, you’re able to match your patients with frames and lenses that suit their vision and lifestyle.
Here are some of the most promising advancements shaping the optical field that you need to know about:
1. Telemedicine in Eye Care
You can now connect with your patients virtually, making eye care more accessible than ever. Using telemedicine, you can conduct preliminary exams, discuss symptoms, and review patient data — all without requiring an in-office visit. If needed, you can also determine whether a more thorough in-person assessment is necessary.
When you use telemedicine, you give your patients a more convenient experience without compromising quality.
2. Improved Automated Refraction Systems
You no longer have to rely on time-consuming manual processes to determine the right prescription. With today’s automated refraction systems, you can depend on highly accurate sensors and digital interfaces to validate your findings.
You can now work more efficiently across your patient interactions thanks to improvements in automated refraction systems. With these advanced systems, you can confidently find the best corrective lenses and easily identify vision irregularities like astigmatism.
3. Artificial Intelligence in Optometry
Are you interested in learning how artificial intelligence (AI) is advancing the optical field? With FDA-approved systems like IDx-DR, you now have access to technology that helps you quickly and accurately detect the early signs of diabetic retinopathy, giving you a more efficient way to assess vision health. You can also take advantage of innovative home-based ocular devices such as the SCANLY Home OCT, which allows you to monitor macular scans remotely for patients suffering from neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD). By integrating SCANLY Home OCT into your workflow, you can evaluate retinal fluid in real-time and stay proactive between in-office visits to ensure you always have the most up-to-date insights.
4. AR, VR, and AI Smart Glasses
Have you ever imagined eyewear that does more than improve vision and actually helps track overall health? Cue “wearable tech.” Now, you can go beyond prescribing traditional corrective lenses with the addition of virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and AI smart glasses. But before you explore how these smart glasses are transforming eye care, it’s important to understand how they work.
AR Glasses: With AR glasses, you can access a digital overlay that enhances — rather than replaces — what you see in the real world. This technology allows you to display helpful information directly in your field of view.
VR Glasses: Using VR glasses, you can fully immerse yourself in a computer-generated environment, temporarily disconnecting from your physical surroundings.
AI Glasses: AI glasses offer a variety of features including image capturing, video recording, livestreaming, calling, and more. This wearable tech can support individuals with reduced vision, hearing, or mobility by making it possible to perform tasks that usually require using a phone, hands-free.
The above glasses can be used for both recreation and health purposes. There are smart glasses that track biometric data — such as pupil dilation and eye movement — to help people stay on top of critical insights about vision health.
In addition, one can enter immersive simulations for medical training or industrial applications, which can help refine skills in a realistic environment before applying them in real-world scenarios.
5. Style Improvements
You no longer have to compromise between fashion and function. Because modern eyewear merges style and function, you can now offer frames that match your patients’ personal style while providing features such as blue light‑blocking lenses or transition lenses.
Why Should You Enroll in an Optical Technician Program?
If you’re passionate about helping future patients feel confident when wearing contacts or eyeglasses, then a career as an optical technician might be a great fit for you.
When you enroll in an Optical Technician program, you build a solid foundation in ocular anatomy, lens fabrication, and patient communication. You even get hands-on training with industry-current equipment.
Not only do you gain the skills to step right into the field, but your diploma can also lead to advanced certifications or even a graduate degree, bringing you one step closer to becoming a licensed optometrist or ophthalmologist.
Though not required to work as an optical technician in California, graduates are encouraged to pursue certification by passing the National Opticianry Competency Exam and Contact Lens Registry Exam administered by the American Board of Opticianry and National Contact Lens Examiners (ABO/NCLE). Becoming board-certified can open up more job opportunities and enhance your career.
Train to Become an Optical Technician at ACC
You can start your career in the optical field faster than you might expect. ACC’s Optical Technician program helps you build foundational knowledge and skills in as little as nine months.
The program is taught in a blended format, combining online coursework with in-person instruction. You’ll participate in a 200-hour clinical externship to hone your skills in a real-life optical environment.
With technology and style continuously advancing, there’s never been a better time to join this growing healthcare industry. Discover how ACC’s Optical Technician diploma program teaches you how to help patients feel confident about their vision and sets you up for success in the optical field.
