CONTACT LENSES TODAY

February 29, 2004

Contact Lenses Today® is edited by Dr. Joseph T. Barr and the staff of Contact Lens Spectrum. This week CLToday® reaches nearly 10,000 readers in 74 countries.


MIT Rewards Inventor of Visual Devices
Thirty-year-old MIT grad student Saul Griffith recently won the Lemelson-MIT Student Prize and $30,000 for inventing a device that makes low-cost eyeglass lenses within 10 minutes. His invention works on a desktop, printer-like device that uses baby oil to shape car window tinting film into a mold. You then pour a polymer in between and the lens is ready in five to 10 minutes. Griffith also created electronic goggles that offer accurate diagnoses of eye problems by using an electronic sensor to scan the wearer's eye.

Cooper Acquires Products From Argus Biomedical
The Cooper Companies, Inc. has acquired the assets related to the artificial cornea, AlphaCor, and a soft orbital implant, AlphaSphere, from Argus Biomedical Pty Ltd. The Argus products will be developed and marketed to corneal surgeons by a newly formed ophthalmic surgery business unit, CooperVision Surgical, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of CooperVision, Inc.

1 + 2 + 3 = REVOLUTIONARY
The revolutionary new ACUVUE ADVANCE Brand Contact Lenses with HYDRACLEAR deliver exceptional, long-lasting comfort by combining three important attributes:
1. The initial comfort of a hydrogel
2. Increased oxygen benefits of silicone
3. Exceptional end-of-day comfort.
All of this without sacrificing vision or the performance standards of ACUVUE 2. The combination of hydrogel and silicone benefits is only achieved with HYDRACLEAR, the remarkable internal wetting agent. Learn more by visiting http://www.ecp.acuvue.com.

--ADVERTISING

Study Shows Alrex Safe for Treatment of SAC
A recently published, peer-reviewed, multi-center study shows that Bausch & Lomb's corticosteroid Alrex (loteprednol etabonate ophthalmic suspension 0.2%) is safe for the long-term treatment of seasonal allergic conjunctivitis (SAC). Researchers retrospectively reviewed data at three U.S. centers from 397 patients who used Alrex eye drops on a long-term basis to treat the symptoms of allergic conjunctivitis. Of the 397 patients, 159 used Alrex for between one and four years. Among these long-term users, none reported incidences of elevated IOP, none formed cataracts and none developed infections during treatment.

LensCrafters Names CL Vendor of 2003
LensCrafters has named CIBA Vision as its Contact Lens Vendor of the Year 2003, based on certain criteria including outstanding customer service, marketing support and a superior product portfolio.

1-800 Promotes Bethers
1-800 CONTACTS, Inc. has promoted Brian W. Bethers to president, replacing Jonathan Coon, who will remain active in the daily operations of the company as CEO and as chairman of the Board, according to the company. Bethers, who joined 1-800 in July, 2003 as chief financial officer, will continue to serve in this role in addition to his new role as president.

You Can Be a Tip Star!
CLToday is looking for your best contact lens fitting tips. Click on the link at the end of the newsletter to send yours to us. You and all of your colleagues will benefit.

Abstract: Deposition Differs
Researchers in Canada set out to determine whether differences in lysozyme deposition and/or activity exist on worn etafilcon and balafilcon contact lenses following care with a polyquaternium-based system (PQ) or a polyhexanide-based system (PHMB). They found that lysozyme deposition on etafilcon lenses was greater following disinfection with the PHMB-based system and that the care regimen didn't influence deposition on balafilcon lenses. For both materials, the percentage of denatured lysozyme was greater when they were exposed to the PHMB-based system. Thus, the researchers conclude that the quantity and conformation of lysozyme deposited on hydrogel contact lens materials is significantly influenced by both lens material and care regimen.
Senchyna M, Jones L, Louie D, May C, Forbes I, Glasier M. Quantitative and Conformational Characterization of Lysozyme Deposited on Balafilcon and Etafilcon Contact Lens Materials. Current Eye Research 2004 Jan;28(1):25-36.


Editor's Commentary: ARBO Tracks Problems from CLs with Invalid Rxs
Last week, at the successful SECO meeting, there was a lot of buzz about the new Fairness Act requiring the release of contact lens prescriptions. As I keep saying, until we prove that there is a real safety issue associated with improper contact lens sales, little will change to improve this new regulation. The following may be of interest.
The Association of Regulatory Boards of Optometry (ARBO) recently announced preliminary results of an ongoing study of patients who had problems with contact lenses dispensed without a valid prescription. ARBO is working this year to broadly disseminate its reporting forms and is encouraging more ODs to submit this information. The address to access the reporting form is http://www.arbo.org/arbo.asp?dt=R&Doc=complications_repform. We will have more on ARBO's report in a future issue.
Also, the FTC has published it's proposed rule implementing the Fairness to Contact Lens Consumers Act. There is an open comment period. In case anyone should want to submit a comment, the proposed rule is available at http://www.regulations.gov or on the FTC's Web site -- just search for "Contact Lens Rule." Or, access the PDF version at http://www.regulations.gov/fredpdfs/04-02335.pdf.


Fitting Tip: Revisiting the Issue of GP Lens Binding
We solved this problem a long time ago by using much larger diameters and parallel lenticular design of the outer surface. This allows you to control the edge thickness even in high minus prescriptions. We use diameters in the range of 9.5 to 10.0, multi-curve interiors, optic zones in the range of 7.2mm to 7.6mm, secondary curves about 5.00D flatter radius than the optic zone, which is usually fit pretty much on the flattest K. We then finish the inside with a third curve radius around 10.5 and also a 12.5 bevel about .4 wide. I have patients who started wearing hard lenses such as this 30 years ago and we've switched the majority over to GPs when good materials became available. Another advantage from a practice management perspective is patient retention. We advise polishing the lenses at least once every six months in our office (for a fee) and yearly eye health and prescription check ups. The lifetime value of this type of a patient is huge. Rarely will one of these ask you to send their prescription to a mail-order house.
--Erwin, Jay, OD
Cleveland, Ohio


The Global Orthokeratology Symposium (GOS) is Approaching
(July 22-25, 2004 Toronto, Canada)
The only worldwide meeting focused solely on orthokeratology/corneal reshaping.
http://www.gos2004.com
Report adverse contact lens reactions here: http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/medwatch/ or call (800) FDA-1088.

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