ONLINE VISION TEST RECALLED

Visibly, formerly known as Opternative, has ceased making available its Visibly Online Refractive Vision Test, which is part of the Visibly Vision Test Solution. Partners and their customers had been given access to this software application, which is used to measure vision refraction. Its removal is a result of a recent U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) recall notice that cites the company’s lack of 510(k) clearance and the nonexistence of a marketing application for the product.

In April 2016, the American Optometric Association (AOA) had filed a complaint against Visibly (Opternative). That complaint raised concerns over potential serious health risks of the product and noted its lack of premarket approval. Then, in 2017, the FDA issued a warning letter to Opternative indicating that the company was in violation of the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (FDCA) and requested that the company “immediately cease activities that result in the misbranding or adulteration of the On-Line Opternative Eye Examination Mobile Medical App device, such as the commercial distribution of the device through your online website.” The FDA will be monitoring the company’s actions in light of the recall. ■

IN MEMORIAM: PROFESSOR ROBERT FLETCHER, FCOPTOM

Professor Robert Fletcher, FCOptom, who died at the age of 94 on Aug. 5, became the first Professor of Optometry outside of the United States in 1966 when he was appointed as chair at City University in London. Throughout his career, he made important contributions to optometric research and education around the world.

With Norman Bier, MPhil, he pioneered early scleral contact lenses and prosthetic lenses. He also designed optometric instruments, including, in 1960, the first European vision screener, a device which led to a significant increase in eye assessments in the workplace.

During a teaching career spanning seven decades, Professor Fletcher taught more than 15,000 optometrists in London and several thousands more in more than 20 countries. Others benefited from his 150 publications and 16 textbooks. Professor Fletcher also helped establish optometry courses at the University of Kongsberg in Norway. Other countries where he established optometry courses include Italy, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Israel, Iceland, and Portugal.

In retirement, Professor Fletcher worked with Luigi Lupelli, a former student who became the first professor of contact lenses in Italy, to design an acrylic osteo-odonto-keratoprosthesis implant, which has given some sight to many hundreds of people worldwide who have poor vision.

His wife, Muriel, predeceased him by just three weeks. He is survived by their two daughters. ■

COOPERVISION LAUNCHES SOFT CONTACT LENS RECYCLING PROGRAM IN SWEDEN

CooperVision has launched an initiative in Sweden that offers consumers free soft contact lens recycling for all brands and manufacturers. The CooperVision Contact Lens Recycle Program aims to reduce plastic waste by providing a practical and easy way for wearers to recycle lenses as well as blister and foil packaging, according to the company.

Wearers have the option of sending contact lens materials directly to CooperVision’s recycling partner, TerraCycle, using prepaid mailing labels or of dropping those materials off at a participating optical store in Sweden. The company also says that the program will help consumers understand the impact of their efforts, highlighting how the materials will be recycled for everyday use as plastic lumber, park benches, and fence posts. ■

TREEHOUSE EYES OPENS EIGHT NEW LOCATIONS

Treehouse Eyes announced the opening of eight new centers. In collaboration with select practices, Treehouse Eyes is bringing its proprietary brand of myopia management directly into select primary care practices across the country.

The latest practices to join the Treehouse Eyes network are Insight Vision Center Optometry in Costa Mesa, CA, Drs. Thanh Mai and Valerie Lam; Focal Point Optometry in Fullerton, CA, Drs. Alvin Arellano and Michelle Kirk; Pacific Rims Optometry in San Francisco, Dr. Selena Chan; Visionary Eye Care in Tampa, Drs. Jennifer Brady-Cook and Michael Cook; Warm Springs Optometric Group in Fremont, CA, Drs. Michael Fauria and Susan Pirrone; Neuro-Vision Associates of North Texas in Plano, TX, Dr. Charles Shidlofsky; Premier Vision in Amarillo, TX, Dr. John Todd Cornett; and Birmingham Vision Care in Bloomfield Township, MI, Drs. Harriet C. Pelton and Patricia Poma-Nowinski. ■

ALCON TO LAUNCH PRECISION1 DAILY DISPOSABLE CONTACT LENSES

Alcon announced plans to launch the Precision1 daily disposable silicone hydrogel contact lenses in the United States. According to the company, Precision1 lenses come with Alcon’s proprietary SmartSurface technology, a permanent, micro-thin, high-performance layer of moisture at the lens surface that helps support a stable tear film to deliver lasting visual performance from morning to night. The lenses are made in verofilcon A material and have Class 1 ultraviolet-blocking capabilities, according to Alcon.

Initial patient availability began in September 2019 through select eyecare practitioners, with wide availability across the United States scheduled for early 2020. In March 2019, Alcon launched Precision1 contact lenses in Australia and New Zealand and expects to launch these lenses in additional markets around the globe throughout 2020 and 2021. ■

ALCON NAMES DR. CARLA MACK GLOBAL HEAD OF PROFESSIONAL AFFAIRS FOR VISION CARE

Alcon announced that Dr. Carla Mack has been named global head, Professional Affairs. In her new role, Dr. Mack leads Professional Affairs within Alcon’s Global Vision Care Franchise, reporting to Andy Pawson, president and general manager, Global Vision Care Franchise. As global head, Dr. Mack is responsible for coordinating and consolidating the company’s Vision Care professional affairs strategy and initiatives, working in partnership with regional professional leaders and teams.

In her previous role as head, Professional Strategy & Development – US Vision Care, Dr. Mack was responsible for all US Vision Care professional training and education through the Alcon Experience Academy, overseeing the training of eyecare professionals via the Alcon Experience Center. ■

OCUBALL EYE MODEL REPLACES ANIMAL-BASED METHODS FOR FOREIGN BODY REMOVAL

OcuBlink Inc. has shipped its first order of OcuBall, a polymer-based eye model that can be used for training to perfect the removal of foreign bodies while eliminating safety concerns related to handling, disposal, and storage of biological tissue. It comes premade with carbon/mild steel particles inserted on the surface of the eye to provide a realistic, safe, and inexpensive clinical scenario for the practice of foreign body removal. Over time, the metal pieces can rust and form a typical rust ring, just as they do in the human eye.

Made of a biocompatible polymer-based material, the company says that OcuBall is less expensive compared to typically sourced animal models, and it eliminates concerns of cross-contamination and biological waste. OcuBall can be stored in saline for several weeks without spoilage and has no odor. ■

GSLS SPOTLIGHT: PHOTO CONTEST

The Global Specialty Lens Symposium is seeking interesting photographs of conditions, diseases, or other occurrences, with a special interest in contact lenses and the anterior segment. All submissions must be sent through the online portal at http://photos.gslsymposium.com/upload/upload.aspx . Three winning photos will be selected by the GSLS education committee and will be featured on a future cover of Contact Lens Spectrum. Submit your entry no later than Dec. 15, 2019. ■

AIO, BCLA, GOC TO TACKLE ILLEGAL PRACTICE

The Association for Independent Optometrists and Dispensing Opticians (AIO) and the British Contact Lens Association (BCLA) have joined together in an initiative to work closely with the General Optical Council (GOC) to drive out the illegal sale of contact lenses across the United Kingdom.

While the GOC already has a dedicated London-based team that investigates complaints about illegal contact lens sales, it does not have a physical presence across the country. The plan is that members of AIO and BCLA will become the “eyes and ears” on the High Street and will identify U.K.-based online suppliers to ensure that investigation and any follow-up enforcement action, taken in association with Local Trading Standards Officers, is fully effective. ■

MYOPIACARE LAUNCHES MYAPPIA

MyopiaCare introduced the MyAppia calculator that uses the age, current prescription of the child, and risk factors to build a visual prediction for the prescription development over 10 years.

It then adds various treatment options (atropine, orthokeratology, spectacles, or soft multifocal contact lenses) to outline the predicted outcomes. These are displayed to show parents and patients how treatment choices may alter future myopia progression outcomes.

MyAppia calculator can now be found at www.myopiacare.com .