CONTACT LENSES TODAY
September 3, 2006
Contact Lenses Today® is edited by Dr. Joseph T. Barr and the staff of Contact Lens Spectrum. This week CLToday® reaches more
than 12,000 readers in 74 countries.
B&L Licenses rPlasmin from Talecris
Bausch & Lomb announced last week that Talecris Biotherapeutics has granted the company an exclusive worldwide license for recombinant Plasmin
technology for use in eyecare. The companies will co-develop rPlasmin, a recombinant derivative of the human blood component Plasmin, which B&L believes may have potential
for use in developing novel therapies for ocular conditions. B&L is currently enrolling patients in early-stage clinical trials to evaluate Plasmin’s therapeutic potential
to relieve retinal traction.
New Conforma Website
InovaOne has launched a new, interactive, broadband
Website for Conforma Laboratories at
http://www.conforma.com. The new site offers eye care practitioners the ability to research information about custom GP lenses and
low vision enhancement online. The site’s Learning Center features integrated video and a custom video player. Informational videos demonstrate proper fitting and
troubleshooting techniques and design videos provide details about the company’s products and services.
ACUVUE® ADVANCE™ Brand Contact Lenses for ASTIGMATISM help unmask low cylinder astigmats.
Correcting astigmatism used to be a choice between clear, stable vision or long-lasting comfort. For low cylinder astigmatic patients this
meant a spherical or aspheric lens prescription that masked their condition.
Now, you have a chance to unmask these patients. Because of Accelerated
Stabilization Design, ACUVUE® ADVANCE™ for ASTIGMATISM offers crisp, stable vision regardless of the activity. Because of patented HYDRACLEAR™ Technology
the new lens provides immediate and all-day comfort.
Now, patients might not have to tolerate even a low level of blur that comes with masking their
astigmatism.
--ADVERTISING
Global Keratoconus Congress – DEADLINE FOR PAPERS AND POSTERS APPROACHING
The Educational Program Committee of the Global Keratoconus Congress invites the submission of abstracts for the Free Papers and Scientific
Posters Competition to be held January 26-28, 2007 in Las Vegas. Papers and Posters related to keratoconus, corneal topography, post penetrating keratoplasty or related
irregular corneal surface, gas permeable lens and lens care topics are welcome. Please visit https://www.gkc2007.com for
information
--ADVERTISING
Abstract:
Tinted CLs for Photophobia in Stationary Cone Dystrophies
Investigators at Brighton and Sussex University Hospital’s Sussex Eye Hospital recently assessed the use of tinted contact lenses as an
alternative management for children with photophobia. All participants had markedly reduced visual acuity, color vision and profound photophobia. They fit three
children with cone dystrophies from age three to five with Lunelle ES70 Solair 70% brown contact lenses.
The children’s parents completed two
Children’s Vision Function Questionnaires, one when the child wore tinted glasses and another while the child wore tinted contact lenses. Subjectively, two of the
children and their parents described a striking improvement in their quality-of-life with improved confidence, interactions with other children and cessation of
name-calling and bullying. One child was reluctant to wear the contact lenses despite her parents’ active encouragement. The Questionnaire provided evidence for this
improvement in another child and was not significantly different in the other.
Researchers concluded that tinted contact lenses are an alternative
for management of the photophobia associated with cone dystrophies in children. They noted marked improvements in quality-of-life in this case series.
Rajak SN,
Currie AD, Dubois VJ, Morris M, Vickers S. Tinted contact lenses as an alternative management for photophobia in stationary cone dystrophies in children. J AAPOS. 2006
Aug;10(4):336-9.
Editor's Commentary:
O.D.s are Making More, but Will CL Field Stay Healthy?
The recent AOA Caring for the Eyes of America survey indicates O.D.s are making more net income than ever (the median for 2004 was $118,000
for males, $93,000 for females) and that they do 60% of the comprehensive eye examinations in the U.S. There is also some evidence that income from contact lenses is down
but I don't see this in large contact lens focused practices.
Certainly, pay from third parties is up and thus there is less patient-pay income. The
survey shows that the ophthalmic market share in 2005 is 39% independent O.D., 32.6% chains and the like and 9.7% ophthalmologists. I'd be interested in
what our readers think
about the future of the contact lens field based on what we know about the future of new products, expanded scope of practice, competition and the impact of third-party
payers. I for one think the future for contact lens practices is very good.
Fitting Tip:
Lens Application Technique
A young male patient returned for his annual follow-up and mentioned that his lenses were uncomfortable upon application on a fairly
consistent basis, but that the discomfort resolved with wear. He had no other signs of solution toxicity or intolerance. We ruled out edge adaptation and foreign body
sensation. After observing his technique, I realized that he was touching the inside surface of his lens with his fingers immediately before applying
it.
When we prescribed the more easily damaged high-water content hydrogel lenses, we instructed patients to “float” the lens out of the case to
avoid lens trauma. The same advice works to remove silicone hydrogels. Have patients slide the lens out onto their palm or finger, not touching the inside surface. This
avoids many cracks and tears. They may need to add saline or multipurpose solution to raise the lens to the top of the case or bubble pack to more easily remove
it.
No matter how much we wash our hands, we cannot remove all essential oils. This technique helps patients avoid touching the inside surface of the lens, which
inevitable leaves an oily fingerprint that can temporarily reduce the wettability of the inside surface and reduce initial comfort.
If patients
need to touch the inside surface in order to properly orient the lens, simply rinse it with solution before application, which is the next best thing. This technique
helped our patient, and many after him, to start the wearing schedule with better comfort.
Patricia Keech, O.D.,
Shoreline, Wash.
Best of the Month
Dr. Diane Fries, submitted the “Best Fitting Tip of the Month” for August. Her tip, “Prescription Verification Calls,” may be seen in
the, August 27, 2006 edition of CLToday.
This month at http://www.siliconehydrogels.org, get an update of silicone hydrogels at ARVO 2006 and review ‘oxygen
flux‚’ as well as the cornea’s response to different levels of oxygen transmissibility.
Report adverse contact lens reactions here: http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/medwatch/ or
call (800) FDA-1088.
Access a reporting form for complications you've seen that were a result of contact lenses dispensed without a valid
prescription at the Association of Regulatory Boards of Optometry's (ARBO's) Web
site: http://www.arbo.org/arbo.asp?dt=R&doc=Complications. Complete and send the form online or print
it out and fax it to (866) 886-6164.
Send your favorite tips to tips@cltoday.com -- if your tip is
selected as 'Best of the Month,' you'll receive a free
T-shirt (see http://www.CLToday.com for details). Please include your full name, degree or title and city/state/country.
Visit Contact Lens Spectrum ( http://www.clspectrum.com ) for interactive clinical posters and issue
archives. Visit Contact Lenses Today for our Best Fitting Tips.
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