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 Sunday, July 27, 2008 A free weekly e-mail newsletter brought to you by: 
CLToday Contact Lens Spectrum
Edited by Carla Mack, O.D., M.B.A., F.A.A.O. and the staff of Contact Lens Spectrum
This week CLToday® reaches more than 14,000 readers in 74 countries. 
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Art Optical Introduces Intelliwave Contact Lenses

Art Optical Contact Lens, Inc. announces the availability of Intelliwave, a new line of precise prescription, made-to-order soft contact lenses. Using lens design technology licensed from UltraVision CLPL in the UK, Art Optical now offers advanced, lathe-cut, soft contact lenses to U.S. eye care practitioners. Art Optical brings 50 years of custom contact lens experience to this new and exciting venture.
     Incorporating patented wavefront technology and aberration control, Intelliwave lenses are available in aspheric, aspheric toric, multifocal and multifocal toric design options, and are offered in parameter ranges that are completely customizable to match the precise prescription requirements of each individual patient. Custom manufactured and ready for shipment in just four business days, Intelliwave lenses offer practitioners and patients a faster, more precise, soft lens option, according to the company.
     Art Optical is also introducing the Intelliwave Precise Protection Plan, which provides lens exchanges and full cancellation privileges. According to Mike Johnson, FCLSA, Director of Consultation Services, "Art Optical has built a trusted reputation with our practitioners by providing quality contact lenses and designs backed by warranty programs that provide practice protection. We realize that despite our best efforts, patients are not successful 100% of the time. It's important for doctors to feel confident in attempting the best lens option anyway."
     Art Optical is the exclusive U.S. manufacturer of the Intelliwave product line. Complete details can be found at the company website, www.artoptical.com.

Johnson & Johnson Vision Care Launches New Professional Website

Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc. announced the launch of its new professional website www.jnjvisioncare.com. The comprehensive, easy to navigate site is designed to provide doctors and staff with valuable resources and tools to advance both patient and practice health. Among the site's new features:
  - Educational video library for both doctors and staff, including updated visuals, animation and webinars covering the latest contact lens news and research
  - Access to clinical data and third-party studies, including a special section on fitting children in contact lenses
  - Online tools and practice resources such as: Acuminder, a complimentary online service designed to improve contact lens compliance and eye health, and Click To Be Contacted, a complimentary online service designed to facilitate appointment scheduling for new contact lens patients
  - Information on the science behind the family of Acuvue contact lenses
  - Exclusive Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc. product news
     Doctors also gain access to the Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc. Customer Service website where orders can be placed for Acuvue contact lenses online, and visitors can register to receive the latest information on Acuvue contact lenses, new ideas for doctors and patients and tools to advance patient and practice health.

Gelflex Updates Website

Gelflex Laboratories has updated its website at www.gelflex.com. The site now includes information on new products the company is manufacturing, including Ningaloo colored contact lenses and Sofclear frequent replacement soft lenses.

Comfort for Performance

Now is the perfect time to fit more of your patients in ACUVUE® OASYS™ Brand Contact Lenses with HYDRACLEAR® Plus for all-day comfort and Class 1 UV blocking* for great protection against UV rays. To learn more about our innovations in comfort, vision and health, go to:
*Product and UV Information  
 Important Safety Information
--ADVERTISING

Marietta Vision Receives FDA Approval for Custom Tints

Marietta Vision, a specialty contact lens company known for Chromagen (for color blindness) and other specialty tint contact lenses, has received FDA approval for a full range of custom tints for all types of contact lenses (excluding silicone hydrogel). The new tinting process will allow for custom sports tint, prosthetic lenses and other applications. Currently Marietta Vision is a primary provider of theatrical contact lenses for the movie industry. See www.mariettavision.com for more information.

B&L Names Farnsworth Senior Vice President of Customer Service & IT and CIO

Bausch & Lomb (B&L) has named Alan H. Farnsworth as Senior Vice President of Customer Service & Information Technology and Chief Information Officer. He remains a corporate Vice President. In this newly created position, Mr. Farnsworth provides leadership for the company's global delivery of customer service processes, as well as for the strategic development of information technology resources to support global business growth.
     Mr. Farnsworth joined B&L in 1988 as Vice President, Business Development, for the former International Division. Since 2001, he has been President of the company's Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region, responsible for the commercial operations of all B&L businesses. He will maintain this role until the transition to a new EMEA president occurs.
     Farnsworth holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from the University of Rochester and a Juris Doctor degree from Cornell University School of Law. He is a member of the board of trustees of the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness/Vision 2020.

Global Specialty Lens Symposium

Contact Lens Spectrum and the Health Care Conference Group will host the Global Specialty Lens Symposium (GSLS), January 15-18, 2009, at Bally's Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, NV.
     The GSLS will include presentations on the latest techniques and technologies for the successful management of ocular conditions using today's specialty contact lenses. Truly an international meeting, GSLS will provide insights of experts from around the globe and hands-on access to the most current products available. The program will be accredited for continuing education under COPE, NCLE and JCAHPO, offering 17+ credit hours.
     Those interested in attending and/or submitting free papers or posters to the Global Specialty Lens Symposium can visit www.GSLSymposium.com for more information or to register for this unique meeting. Companies interested in exhibiting should contact Sean Casey at 732-483-4302 or sean.casey@wolterskluwer.com.
--ADVERTISING

Dakota Sciences Signs No. 7 Contact Lens as Exclusive So2Clear Lens Technology Partner for UK and Denmark

Dakota Sciences, based in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and No. 7 Contact Lens have entered into an exclusive agreement allowing No. 7 Contact Lens to manufacture and distribute the patented So2Clear Lens Technology throughout the United Kingdom and Denmark.
     The patented So2Clear Lens is a larger diameter GP that, according to Dakota Sciences, when coupled with today's high Dk GP materials, delivers both comfort and excellent visual acuity. The straightforward dual control fitting philosophy involves a base curve that is fit traditionally with peripheral curve alignment/touch on a small portion of the sclera. The result is a lens that offers optimum centration and extreme stability and delivers clear, comfortable, healthy vision, per the company.
     No. 7 Contact lens will launch the So2Clear Lens in all three current designs: Standard, Cone and Multifocal. So2Clear Lenses will be available in the beginning of August, supported by a series of training events, practice materials and point-of-sale items. For more information email info@no7-contact-lenses.co.uk.

Abstract: Occlusion Properties of Prosthetic Contact Lenses for the Treatment of Amblyopia

The efficacy of opaque contact lenses as occlusion therapy for amblyopia has been established in the literature. Prosthetic contact lenses use similar tints to improve cosmesis in scarred or deformed eyes and may be an alternative in occlusion therapy. To test this idea, the authors determined the degree of vision penalization elicited by prosthetic contact lenses and their effect on peripheral fusion.
     They tested 19 CIBA Vision DuraSoft 3 Prosthetic soft contact lenses with varying iris prints, underprints, and opaque pupil sizes in 10 volunteers with best-corrected Snellen distance visual acuity of 20/20 or better in each eye. Snellen visual acuity and peripheral fusion using the Worth 4-Dot test at near were measured on each subject wearing each of the 19 lenses.
     Results were analyzed with 3-factor analysis of variance. Mean visual acuity through the various lenses ranged from 20/79 to 20/620. Eight lenses allowed preservation of peripheral fusion in 50% or more of the subjects tested. Iris print pattern and opaque pupil size were significant factors in determining visual acuity (p < 0.05).
     The authors concluded that sufficient vision penalization can be achieved to make occlusion with prosthetic contact lenses a viable therapy for amblyopia. The degree of penalization can be varied and different iris print patterns and pupil sizes, using peripheral fusion can be preserved with some lenses. Prosthetic contact lenses can be more cosmetically appealing and more tolerable than other amblyopia treatment modalities. These factors may improve compliance in occlusion therapy.
S Collins R, McChesney ME, McCluer CA, Schatz MP. Occlusion properties of prosthetic contact lenses for the treatment of amblyopia. J AAPOS. 2008 Jun 30.

Reader Tip: Is It the Solution?

When you suspect a patient is sensitive to their contact lens solution, ask if the patient notices that a newly opened lens feels much better (not necessarily perfect) for a period of two or three days, and then starts to feel dry and possibly sting a bit on insertion. This two or three day period is the clue that it is their solution as it takes several nights to build up the offending concentration.
Eric A. Ahlvin, O.D.
Galena, IL and Platteville, WI

Editor's Commentary: Quantify Your Questions

For those of you that know me, you are well aware that I'm a person who cares about the details, the right details. When it comes to patient care, obtaining the correct detail in the history can ultimately alter the diagnosis and course of treatment. Some patients are too vague in their responses and some provide too many details that are not relevant to their care that day. I've grown fond of having patients quantify their answers by grading pain, comfort, vision, satisfaction or overall happiness on a scale of 1-10. When patients are asked about how well they are seeing with their multifocal contact lenses, for example, I want to know if it is bad or number one. Sometimes I will say, "one means you want to throw these in the trash and ten means you think these are the greatest things since sliced bread." This helps me quickly know if I'm tweaking a prescription or changing lens designs all together. When grading pain I might say, "one means you have no pain and ten is unbearable." Using a 1-10 scale is great for a multi-doctor practice following a condition with more than one doctor over several visits. This method provides an efficient and quantitative method to determine if the patient is improving.
Carla Mack, O.D., M.B.A., F.A.A.O.

 

This month at www.siliconehydrogels.org: daily disposable silicone hydrogel lenses, the proactive practice, fitting trends, and part one of our ARVO 2008 update.
Report adverse contact lens reactions here: http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/medwatch/ or call (800) FDA-1088.

Report possible grievances related to the Fairness to Contact Lens Consumers Act or associated Contact Lens Rule at: https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/.
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For more information on Contact Lenses Today including archives of previous issues or to subscribe to this newsletter, please visit our website at www.cltoday.com. For the latest articles on contact lenses, important clinical information and helpful tools related to the contact lens practice visit the Contact Lens Spectrum website at www.clspectrum.com.
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