NEWS spectrum
Contact Lens Industry Loses an Innovator
Nick Stoyan, contact lens innovator, inventor, and founder of Contex, Inc., died on March 8. Mr. Stoyan began his career in the 1950s working in research and development for Wesley Jessen. He went on to hold numerous patents and is credited with initiating accelerated orthokeratology through his creation of the “OK” lens series.
During his long career he received many awards including the Excellence in Orthokeratology Award from the Orthokeratology Academy of America, the Creative Design and Process Award from the Contact Lens Manufacturers Association in 2006, and the Founder’s Award from the American Academy of Optometry in 2010.
To honor him, the Stoyan family and Contex, Inc. have created the Nick Stoyan Memorial Orthokeratology Grant. The grant will be awarded to a fourth year optometry student with the best and most innovative orthokeratology project at the annual Orthokeratology Association of America meeting. Anyone interested in donating should make checks payable to the Nick Stoyan Memorial Orthokeratology Grant, and send in care of Nick Stoyan Memorial Orthokeratology Grant to Contex, Inc, 4505 Van Nuys Blvd, Sherman Oaks, CA 91403.
TFOS to Initiate Lens Discomfort Workshop
The Tear Film & Ocular Surface Society (TFOS) is currently initiating organization of its third international workshop— the TFOS International Workshop on Contact Lens Discomfort (CLD). Such discomfort may be the leading cause of patient dissatisfaction with, and discontinuation of, contact lens wear throughout the world. The mission of the TFOS CLD Workshop may be analogous to those of the previous TFOS Workshops (i.e. Dry Eye [DEWS] and Meibomian Gland Dysfunction [MGD] Workshops).
The Workshop Steering Committee will include Jason Nichols (USA; Chair), Mark Willcox (Australia; Vice-Chair), David Sullivan (USA; Organizer), Joseph Ciolino (USA), Jennifer Craig (New Zealand), Gary Foulks (USA), Lyndon Jones (Canada), Kelly Nichols (USA), Chris Purslow (United Kingdom) and Fiona Stapleton (Australia). The Steering Committee will finalize the mission, select additional Workshop participants (about 50 experts from around the world), establish detailed objectives, and decide upon the timeline. TFOS anticipates launching this Workshop within the next few months. For more information, please contact Dr. David Sullivan at david.sullivan @schepens.harvard.edu.
CooperVision Receives Awards
CooperVision, Inc. was among the winning recipients of the Eighth Annual Manufacturing Leadership 100 (ML100) Awards. CooperVision was selected by Manufacturing Executive, the global community for manufacturing leadership and producer of the Manufacturing Leadership Summit and ML100 Awards program.
The ML100 Awards’ judges evaluated nominations on the following four criteria: process impact, business impact, strategic impact, and use of technology. In addition, the judges based their selection on projects that have helped set each company apart from the competition; delivered a clear and compelling return on investment; and have rethought and reengineered how they source, produce, and deliver products to customers in dynamic global markets. Logility Inc., a provider of collaborative supply chain solutions, nominated CooperVision for the award.
The company also was recognized by Rebrand 100’s Eighth Annual Global Awards with a “Best of” award for excellence in brand repositioning. Global strategic branding firm Siegel+Gale collaborated with the company on its new brand strategy and visual identity. The brand platform features a visual identity based on watercolors. Company officials said the new design celebrates the refreshing perspective contact lens wearers enjoy with CooperVision lenses. This design concept can be seen throughout CooperVision’s website.
| Metro Optics to Manufacture B+L Custom Lens |
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| Bausch + Lomb (B+L) named Metro Optics in Austin, Texas as an authorized laboratory to manufacture B+L’s recently launched KeraSoft IC silicone hydrogel contact lenses. The technology behind the KeraSoft IC lens allows for authorized laboratories to custom-make contact lenses for patients who have irregular corneas, including patients who have keratoconus. Metro Optics is a full service custom contact lens company. The company serves customers across the United States and supplies select specialty lenses to the international market. KeraSoft IC lenses are designed to fit irregular corneas, including keratoconus, post-laser refractive surgery, pellucid marginal degeneration, and other complex corneal irregularities. Each KeraSoft IC lens is custom-made for a patient’s exact needs. Practitioners who are interested in B+L’s KeraSoft IC lenses for their patients can visit www.metro-optics.com/kerasoft-ic and complete the necessary training to become a certified KeraSoft IC professional. |
Going Dutch at NCC 2012
The fourth Netherlands Contact Lens Conference (NCC), a biannual Dutch contact lens meeting, took place March 10 and 11 in Veldhoven, the Netherlands. The meeting truly was a ‘Going Dutch’ experience, as there were exactly 1,250 visitors each day. More than 1,500 unique participants attended NCC 2012. The attendance this year set a new record in that registration had to be closed because of a full house.
The theme of the event was “Getting in Control,” referring to myopia control, and the latest on this topic from all parts of the globe kicked off the meeting. But the theme was also carried over into other sessions with titles such as Getting in Control… of Lens Fitting (soft and GP lens fitting), of Presbyopia, of Solution Interactions, of Keratoconus, of Scleral Lenses, and of Contact Lens Business. Many other topics were also discussed in three parallel tracks. The education committee was comprised of Marco van Beusekom, BOptom (chair); Ron Beerten, BOptom, FAAO; and Eef van der Worp, BOptom, PhD, FAAO. The winner of the 2012 photo competition, Rob Koster, BOptom, won a trip to the 2013 Global Specialty Lens Symposium in Las Vegas.
Attendees from all corners of the world felt positive about the conference. For example, “The NCC continues to provide incredibly high standards of education- and entertainment! It’s a meeting that has become a ‘must go to’ for the contact lens practitioner who wants to get the latest clinical techniques and scientific information provided in such a way that it can be used directly in a clinical setting,” said Lyndon Jones, PhD, FCOptom, Dip-CLP, DipOrth, FAAO, FIACLE.
| BCLA Call for Photos |
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| The British Contact Lens Association (BCLA) is inviting submissions for its annual photographic competition, by the closing date of April 27, 2012. Sponsored by Nikon Optical, the prestigious BCLA photographic competition takes place at the Association’s annual Clinical Conference and Exhibition and attracts entries from practitioners all around the world. Each year the overall winner receives a top-of-the-range digital camera courtesy of Nikon Optical, and all winning entries are published in the BCLA journal, Contact Lens & Anterior Eye, after the conference. Visit www. bcla.org.uk for more information about judging criteria and how to make your submission. |
| For the Record |
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| In the February 2012 article titled “Dry Eye and Upper Lid Margin Staining” by Elena Garcia Rubio, OD, the author does not practice with Drs. Sanet and Getz as mentioned in her bio, although they are mentors to her. She works only at Instituto Nacional de Optometria (National Institute of Optometry) in Madrid, Spain. |
B+L Expands Parameters for SiHy for Astigmatism
Bausch + Lomb (B+L) has announced that it is expanding the range of powers to its PureVision2 For Astigmatism line of contact lenses. The range previously available was Plano to –6.00D (0.25D steps) sphere power, with –0.75D, –1.25D, and –1.75D cylinder powers. The expanded range will be launched in two waves.
The first wave, which launched in March, extended the sphere powers offered to Plano to –9.00D (0.50D steps above –6.00D) with cylinder powers of –0.75D, –1.25D, –1.75D, and –2.25D in 10-degree increments around the clock.
The second wave is planned for May 1. In the second wave, plus powers up to +6.00D (0.25D steps) will be added to the range. The entire range will be available in the same four cylinder powers of –0.75D, –1.25D, –1.75D, and –2.25D in 10-degree increments around the clock.
| WEB UPDATE | TVCI Improves ODLean Site The Vision Care Institute, LLC, recently made improvements to its ODLean Consulting Program Website (www.odlean.com) including new features and easier navigation. The ODLean Consulting Program applies lean principles for eyecare practitioners to grow a practice’s patient base and manage patient flow for optimal retention, referral, and revenue. Site visitors can learn about ODLean product offerings, read published articles, and view videos. Linked to social media sites FaceBook and YouTube, the ODLean site connects visitors to the latest findings and trends from ODLean experts on the topics of productivity, marketing and patient experience. The site also provides information about upcoming events and conventions that ODLean will be hosting or attending, and features a client portal that houses business analytics and is accessible to current ODLean customers and alumni. B+L Improves Site for Presbyopes Bausch + Lomb has relaunched GoodbyeReaders.com (www .goodbyereaders.com), an online resource for patients to learn more about vision correction options as they experience the changes that can naturally occur in our eyes as we age. The newly revised website includes a fun, interactive game to show people how adjusting for nearsightedness and farsightedness can impact their morning. It also provides patient-friendly information about presbyopia and offers an overview of vision correction options available to patients. The site also now features a “doctor finder” application—eyecare professionals wishing to be added to that network should contact Bausch + Lomb directly. |
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| INDUSTRY BRIEFS | ■ The British Contact Lens Association (BCLA) will host the 2012 Training Day for Medics at its 36th Clinical Conference and Exhibition on Friday, May 25. The course is designed for medics and ophthalmologists who want to develop their practical contact lens fitting skills. Following a morning of lectures and hands-on workshops, delegates are invited to attend their choice of lectures from the main conference program and visit the industry exhibition. For more information e-mail events @bcla.org.uk. ■ The contact lens industry in Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, and Hong Kong continues to flourish, closing 2011 with an 11 percent registered growth in total sales revenue and a new market value high of more than $712 million USD. According to retail audit findings across these five countries from GfK Asia Pte Ltd, Korea posted a 20-percent growth in sales, followed by Taiwan at 12 percent. Singapore and Malaysia similarly reflected gains of 7 percent and 5 percent, respectively. GfK is one of the world's largest research companies, operating in more than 100 markets. ■ At the recent 2012 Contact Lens Association of Ophthalmologists meeting in Las Vegas, Semprus Bio-Sciences presented its latest findings in the presentation, “Betaine Surface Modification of Silicone Hydrogel Contact Lenses to Increase Wettability.” Semprus BioSciences is a venture-backed biomedical company based in Cambridge, Mass. that has had success in developing medical device implants designed to reduce complications such as the foreign body response, infection, and thrombosis. Application of Semprus Technology to silicone hydrogel contact lenses provides a scalable and adaptable platform for significantly enhancing existing surface wettability, according to the company. ■ Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc. recently became a Silver National Sponsor of Optometry Giving Sight. ■ The 19th Edition of the Clinical Ocular Anatomy and Physiology, edited by optometric ocular anatomist Jan PG Bergmanson, OD, PhD, FAAO, has been published. Chapter authorships include prominent members of the vision science community, and the text contains outstanding, original diagrams and micrographs. This most up-to-date text on the subject of ocular morphology and function is used by many optometric teaching institutions and is available from Texas Eye Research and Technology Center, University of Houston College of Optometry, 505 J Davis Armistead Building, 4901 Calhoun Rd, Houston, Texas 77204-2020. ■ To help allergy sufferers better understand and manage their condition, a free educational brochure by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America and supported by 1-Day Acuvue Moist titled “Eye Health and Allergies” can be viewed or downloaded at www. acuvue.com/seasons. ■ Heidelberg Engineering GmbH recently received FDA clearance for its Spectralis Anterior Segment Module (ASM). The ASM provides high-resolution images of cornea, anterior chamber angle, and sclera. Clinicians can assess both chamber angles at the same time using a 16mm-wide angle-to-angle OCT scan. ■ Fera Pharmaceuticals has launched Sulfacetamide Sodium Ophthalmic Ointment USP, 10%, indicated for superficial ocular infections, including conjunctivitis. The company says that sulfacetamide ointment is an important treatment adjunct to the solution, especially at nighttime. ■ The American Optometric Society awarded a $1,000 scholarship to Taya Grilli, a senior at the Illinois College of Optometry, at the AOS 3rd Annual Meeting and CE Seminar in Scottsdale, Ariz. Grilli is the second recipient of the “Harvey” Award, named after one of the profession’s most distinguished optometrists and humanitarians, Dr. Harvey Yamamoto. The scholarship is open to graduating students from Schools or Colleges of Optometry in the United States and Puerto Rico who submit an essay on a pre-selected topic. Grilli’s essay, The Biggest Challenge to Optometry Today, cited lack of awareness of the role served by optometrists as the profession’s most critical challenge. She stated that this lack of awareness translates into inefficiencies in practice, diminished prestige, and decreased opportunities. |
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