JJV ANNOUNCES ACUVUE OASYS WITH TRANSITIONS LIGHT INTELLIGENT TECHNOLOGY

Johnson & Johnson Vision (JJV) announced Acuvue Oasys with Transitions Light Intelligent Technology, a contact lens that provides wearers with vision correction and a dynamic photochromic filter that helps to continuously balance the amount of light entering the eye. These contact lenses quickly and seamlessly adjust from clear to dark to help the human eye manage different types of light and varying intensities of brightness throughout the day, according to the company.

Acuvue Oasys with Transitions has received 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and is indicated for the attenuation of bright light. The two-week reusable, spherical lens will be marketed by Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc. and will be commercially available in the first half of 2019. The lenses were developed through a strategic partnership between Johnson & Johnson Vision and Transitions Optical. ■

IN MEMORIAM: MORTON GREENSPOON, OD

Morton “Mort” Kenneth Greenspoon, OD, passed away on Apr. 2, 2018 at the age of 89. After graduating from the Southern California College of Optometry in 1951, Dr. Greenspoon opened his own practice that same year in Sherman Oaks, CA (now known as Professional VisionCare Associates) and saw patients up to a week before his death.

He took over his father’s special cosmetic contact lens practice in the early 1950s and was later the first optometrist to receive a movie credit for his work on “The Lost Boys” in 1987. Notable celebrities for whom he provided lenses include Elvis Presley in “Flaming Star,” Audrey Hepburn in “Wait Until Dark,” Yul Brenner in “Westworld,” Bill Bixby in “The Incredible Hulk,” and Michael Jackson in “Thriller,” among others. He is also known for fitting the first mirrored contact lens for “Camelot.”

He is survived by his wife Sandra and his three daughters Claudia Mosher, Ronda Carnegie, and Andrea Medina as well as six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. ■

BOSTONSIGHT ANNOUNCES NEW CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER

BostonSight appointed Daniel C. Brocks, MD, as the full-time chief medical officer. Dr. Brocks will oversee delivery of BostonSight treatment solutions to patients suffering from diseases of the ocular surface.

Dr. Brocks is a board-certified ophthalmologist with a specialization in the medical and surgical treatment of the cornea. He specializes in the treatment of dry eye disease and is the founder of The Dry Eye Center at Hudson Valley Eye Surgeons in Fishkill, NY.

His interest is in the treatment of dry eye related to various autoimmune issues including Sjögren’s syndrome. He also specializes in the management of corneal disorders with a specific interest in the management of infectious keratitis, corneal ectasia, and rheumatologic associated with corneal and anterior segment disorders.

He is a member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the International Society of Refractive Surgery, The Corneal Society, The Sjögren’s Syndrome Foundation, the American Association for Physician Leadership, the American Telemedicine Association, the Refractive Surgery Alliance, the Scleral Lens Education Society, the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, and the Contact Lens Association of Ophthalmologists. ■

VISION CARE EXPERT LAUNCHES MANAGEMYOPIA.ORG

Thomas Aller, OD, has launched an educational and informational website, ManageMyopia.org . The clinically reviewed resource will feature the latest data highlights from research and peer-reviewed journals on leading-edge therapies for myopia, with a focus on evidence-based clinical data, practical treatment options, and hands-on management strategies.

Dr. Aller, who has been conducting myopia control research for more than 25 years, is the clinical content editor and curator for the site. He holds several patents in the field of myopia and has collaborated with leading myopia researchers. He is a visiting scholar at the University of California, Berkeley School of Optometry as well as an adjunct professor, University of Houston College of Optometry. Dr. Aller is also on the Clinical Guidelines Committee for the International Myopia Institute, a scientific, clinical advisor for TreeHouse Eyes, and is on the advisory board for Visioneering Technologies, Inc.

The ManageMyopia.org website is made possible by an unrestricted educational grant from Visioneering Technologies, Inc. ■

2018 ARVO STUDENT TRAVEL FELLOWSHIP RECIPIENTS ANNOUNCED

The American Academy of Optometry announced the recipients of the 2018 Student Travel Fellowship Awards, which will allow six students to present their research at the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) 2018 annual meeting. Following are the 2018 recipients and their respective schools.

Supported by Johnson and Johnson, The Vision Care Institute, LLC:

• Jessica Jasien, University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) School of Optometry
• Daisy Shu, BOptom(Hons)/BSci, University of New South Wales School of Optometry and Vision Science
• Laura Pardon, OD, MS, University of Houston College of Optometry
• Katie Bales, UAB School of Optometry
• Hannah Burfield, University of Houston College of Optometry

Supported by the American Academy of Optometry:

• Billie Beckwith-Cohen, DVM, MBA, University of California, Berkeley School of Optometry

The Academy administers travel fellowships to encourage optometry students, optometric residents, and students in eye- and vision-related graduate programs to attend key national meetings and exchange scientific ideas on research.

These fellowships are awarded primarily for accomplishment and potential in optometric research and education and are evaluated by the Academy’s Research Committee.

Applications for student travel fellowships for the Academy’s annual meeting, Academy 2018 San Antonio, will be available in July 2018. For more information, visit www.aaopt.org/students/stf . ■

SEED CO. LTD. ACQUIRES CONTACT LENS PRECISION LABORATORIES INC.

Seed Co. Ltd. announced the acquisition of Contact Lens Precision Laboratories Ltd. (CLPL). As of Apr. 9, 2018, CLPL is now a wholly owned subsidiary of Seed.

CLPL produces specialty and custom lenses that are sold in more than 40 counties, and the company has manufactured and marketed contact lenses for more than 50 years from the United Kingdom under the UltraVision and Kerasoft brand names.

Seed has plans to develop higher-quality contact lenses by using CLPL’s advanced design and optical analysis technology, according to the company. It also intends to expand its contact lens sales in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

CLPL further plans to use Seed’s skills and specific knowledge on the mass production of frequent replacement contact lenses in the specialized soft lens industry. CLPL says it will be able to expand its specialty lens manufacturing while applying greater price competitiveness. CLPL will also take advantage of Seed’s marketing network, especially in Asia.

Diane Angell and John Clamp, joint CEOs of CLPL and UltraVision, respectively, will continue in this position after CLPL becomes a subsidiary of Seed. Seed will in turn send a number of non-executive directors to CLPL and UltraVision and exchange junior engineers with UltraVision. ■

ABB DATA ADDRESSES DIRECT-TO-PATIENT SHIPMENTS

ABB Optical Group released market data showing that eyecare practices that ship more than 10% of their soft contact lens (SCL) sales directly to patients outpace the national average for dollar growth. Conversely, practices with little to no direct-to-patient shipping activity underperform compared to the national average. The national average for direct-to-patient dollar share was 25%, and the national average for dollar growth in 2017 was 7.2%. Practices with more than 45% direct-to-patient dollar share grew 8.6% year-over-year, while practices with less than 10% direct-to-patient dollar share grew at only 6.3%.

ABB Optical’s data also indicate that more than one-third of direct-to-patient shipments are daily disposables and that more than one-quarter of direct-to-patient shipments are torics.

The analysis is based on 2017 sales data from approximately 11,000 eyecare offices, which represents nearly 31% of total contact lens wholesale dollars in the United States. ■

BHVI UPDATES MYOPIA CALCULATOR

An update to Brien Holden Vision Institute (BHVI)’s free web-based Myopia Calculator has added features that include an “ethnicity” option, and it is now also available in Mandarin and Spanish.

The added “ethnicity” option now enables users to switch between “Asian” and “Caucasian.” The estimated annual progression is calculated using data from the BHVI database (for Asian ethnicities) and published meta-analysis (for Caucasian ethnicity).

The Myopia Calculator can be used to estimate the annual progression of myopia with and without management using age, refractive error at presentation, and ethnicity. To access the calculator, visit www.brienholdenvision.org/translational-research/myopia/myopia-calculator.html . This latest version requires users to complete a one-off registration to obtain access. ■

IDOC LAUNCHES “SATISFACTION GUARANTEE” ON MEMBERSHIP PLANS

IDOC is launching a “Satisfaction Guarantee” program that allows independent ODs to take full advantage of an IDOC membership program risk-free. If members are not completely satisfied with their IDOC membership, their dues will be refunded in full if all conditions of the offer are met.

In an unrelated announcement, IDOC is expanding and introducing a new IDOC Select Contact Lens Plan. IDOC members will have access to a new IDOC Select Contact Lens Plan in addition to the current IDOC Select Contact Lens and Lab Plan offering. As with the existing plan, Alcon and CooperVision continue as exclusive manufacturers to IDOC Select. ■

AOA ANNOUNCES 2018 NATIONAL OPTOMETRY HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES AND AWARD WINNERS

The American Optometric Association (AOA) and Optometry Cares-The AOA Foundation have announced this year’s selections for induction into the National Optometry Hall of Fame. Since 1998, the National Optometry Hall of Fame has recognized doctors of optometry who have made significant and long-lasting contributions to the optometric profession. The inductees will be honored at a ceremony during Optometry’s Meeting in Denver. The 2018 inductees are David A. Cockrell, OD; Lesley L. Walls, OD; and Irwin Suchoff, OD. For more information about this year’s inductees, visit www.aoa.org/news/inside-optometry/announcing-the-2018-national-optometry-hall-of-fame-inductees .

In other AOA news, the 2018 Award winners will be recognized at the 2018 Optometry’s Meeting Opening General Session. The Optometrist of the Year Award recognizes David Redman, OD, for his outstanding service on behalf of the profession and the visual welfare of the public. The Young Optometrist of the Year Award recognizes Matthew Jones, OD, who has been in practice less than 10 years and demonstrates remarkable leadership when serving the profession, patients, and his community. The Paraoptometric of the Year Award recognizes Carol Lovell, CPOT, CPOC, for her significant contributions to the profession of paraoptometry. The Optometric Educator Award recognizes Mark Swanson, OD, for outstanding service on behalf of the profession, optometric education, and the visual welfare of the public. The Distinguished Service Award recognizes Joseph Mallinger, OD, for his unusually significant contributions to the profession of optometry. ■