B&L Appoints Industry Veterans to Leadership Team
Stuart Heap has joined the company as corporate vice president and global president, Vision Care. He is a former group vice president of CIBA Vision Corporation and president of its Global Contact Lens Division, and he held various sales, marketing, manufacturing and engineering positions with the company over the span of two decades. After departing CIBA Vision in 2002, he served as CEO of healthcare products manufacturers Regent Medical and SSL-Americas.
J. Andy Corley has been named corporate vice president and global president, Surgical Products. Mr. Corley co-founded Eyeonics, which B&L acquired earlier this year. He has over 25 years of experience in the ophthalmic industry and has held various executive positions at American Medical Optics, Allergan Pharmaceuticals, and Chiron Ophthalmics, which he co-founded.
Michael Gowen has joined the company as corporate vice president and executive vice president, Global Business Operations and Process Excellence. He is the former vice president of Global Operations and Supply Chain for the Johnson & Johnson Group of Consumer Companies, and vice president of Global Operations and Supply Chain for Johnson & Johnson Vision Care from 2002 to 2004. He also served in multiple management roles with McNeil Consumer and Specialty Pharmaceuticals Company, including six years as vice president of Operations.
Alcon Unique-pH Solution for GP Lenses Available Again
Unique-pH solution will be available for retail sale through amazon.com and drugstore.com. Additionally, the product may be purchased by eye care professionals and laboratory distributors as long as minimum purchase requirements are met. The product will not be available through traditional food, drug and mass distribution channels and will no longer be directly sold to end users by Alcon. Starter kits will not be available.
Product questions or order requests may be directed to Alcon Customer Service at 800-451-3937.
CLMA Launches GP Fitter Locator Program
Eyecare professionals are welcomed and encouraged to participate and submit their information (including their listing of expertise as bifocal/multifocal fitter, irregular cornea fitter and orthokeratology/ corneal reshaping fitter) for inclusion in this database of GP contact lens fitters by going to www.gpli.info/locator.
SynergEyes Names Fancher as Vice President, Global Sales
New Eye Health and Allergies Brochure Available from AAFA
"Approximately four percent of allergy sufferers experience eye allergies as their primary allergy," says Mike Tringale, Director of External Affairs, AAFA. "This brochure offers useful information on how eye allergies occur, common signs and symptoms, and practical advice on how to treat and prevent eye allergies."
The brochure, supported by 1•Day Acuvue Moist brand contact lenses, also includes allergy season strategies for the nation's 40 million contact lens wearers, a group for whom eye allergies can cause unique problems. To help allergy sufferers who would like to start wearing or continue wearing contact lenses, the brochure, along with a free trial-pair certificate for 1•Day Acuvue Moist contact lenses (professional examination and fitting fees not included), is also available at www.acuvue.com/seasons.
ECPs interested in ordering a free set of 50 brochures for their practice, may email their request, including name and complete address with zip code, to eyeallergybrochure@rprny.com.
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AOF Announces Vistakon Residency Awards Winners
Dr. Terrance Ingraham Pediatric Optometry Residency Award
Megan Allen, O.D., Illinois College of Optometry
Emma Vicuna, O.D., University of Houston College of Optometry
Dr. Sheldon Wechsler Contact Lens Residency Award
Trevor Irish, O.D., Northeastern State University College of Optometry
Neeta Chhabra, O.D., M.S., NOVA Southeastern University College of Optometry
Dr. George W. Mertz Contact Lens Residency Award
Catherine Pannebaker, O.D., The Ohio State University College of Optometry
John Laurent, O.D., Ph.D., F.A.A.O., University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Optometry
For an application or for more information on these awards and/or AOF and its many programs contact Lois Schoenbrun at 301-984-1441, LoisS@aaoptom.org or visit the website at www.ezell.org.
Athletes Focus on Scoring Better Than 20/20 with the AchieveVision Program
The AchieveVision Program, currently available exclusively to elite athletes training for the Olympic Games, launched in August 2007 and to date has assessed over 175 Olympic athletes and hopefuls from various U.S. teams as part of their preparation for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. TVCI has also launched a new website, www.achievevisionprogram.com, where people can learn how to maximize their vision for everyday activities, hear the athletes' experiences, and find out more about the AchieveVision Program.
The AchieveVision Program is a customized, state-of-the-art visual skills assessment designed to optimize an individual's vision for his or her specific sport and lifestyle. According to TVCI, the program addresses how well an athlete's visual system performs for their specific needs. Per TVCI it complements regular eye exams that assess visual acuity and eye health by testing skills that are essential to performance, such as contrast sensitivity, depth perception and peripheral awareness.
The program, developed with input from a council of experts, including ophthalmologists, optometrists, coaches, sports trainers and academics, assesses maximum visual acuity as well as evaluates and helps optimize dynamic visual skills, such as hand-eye coordination, peripheral awareness and reaction time. Visit www.achievevisionprogram.com for more information.
EyeVis Eye and Vision Research Institute Announces Sponsorship of Optometry Giving Sight
"My partner, Dr. Robert Davis and I are both very excited about the prospects of helping this wonderful organization bring vision to those less fortunate. We have numerous concepts that will bring funds to Optometry Giving Sight via a portion of our research proceeds, sponsoring various charity events, and by helping spread the word about the good work done by Optometry Giving Sight to the eye care community that we interact with both locally in the Midwest and nationally via our eye and vision research projects," said Dr. S. Barry Eiden, EyeVis Eye and Vision Research Institute.
Abstract: Laser Scanning In Vivo Confocal Microscopy and Quantitative Aesthesiometry Correlation with Corneal Sensation in Keratoconus
A total of 31 eyes of 31 normal human subjects, and 27 eyes of 27 subjects with an established diagnosis of keratoconus were recruited. Twelve subjects with keratoconus had never worn contact lenses (K-NCL). Fifteen subjects with keratoconus wore contact lenses routinely (K-CL). All eyes were examined using slit-lamp biomicroscopy, Orbscan topography, non-contact corneal aesthesiometry, and laser scanning in vivo confocal microscopy.
Central corneal sensation was significantly lower in K-CL compared to normal (P=0.028). However, there was no significant difference in corneal sensation between the normal and K-NCL groups (P=0.059). Both sub-basal nerve density (P<0.001) and basal epithelial density (P<0.001) were significantly lower than normal in all keratoconic subjects. Central corneal sensation was only significantly correlated with sub-basal nerve density (P=0.001) and was not significantly correlated with any of the basal epithelial parameters. Sub-basal nerve density showed significant positive correlation with basal epithelial density (P<0.001).
The researchers concluded that this quantitative study reveals decreased corneal innervation, sensation, and basal epithelial density in keratoconus. The results of this study provide strong evidence that both the sub-basal nerves and the basal epithelium may be involved in the pathogenesis of keratoconus, although it is uncertain whether these are primary or secondary changes.
Patel DV, Ku JY, Johnson R, McGhee CN. Laser scanning in vivo confocal microscopy and quantitative aesthesiometry reveal decreased corneal innervation and sensation in keratoconus. Eye. 2008 Mar 14.
Editor's Commentary: Don't Let Patients Surprise You
Carla Mack, O.D., F.A.A.O.
Report possible grievances related to the Fairness to Contact Lens Consumers Act or associated Contact Lens Rule at: https://rn.ftc.gov/pls/dod/wsolcq$.startup?Z_ORG_CODE=PU01.