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New products introduced at optometry academy meeting

Issue: January 1998

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SAN ANTONIO - A number of manufacturers introduced their newest products to more than 3,700 attendees here at the 75th annual American Academy of Optometry meeting Dec. 11 to 13.

Among the new products showcased were a variety of contact lens choices. CooperVision introduced Frequency 55, a line of 55%-water-content soft contact lenses for a 30-day planned replacement regimen. The lenses will be available in sphere powers from +8 to -10 D for hyperopia and myopia.

Lens Dynamics' Rose K lens system for keratoconus patients allows for better visual acuity. The complex lens geometry of the lens combined with the material benefit of Boston ES gives superior patient comfort and fit. The lens comes in base curves of 4.75 mm to 8.00 mm with a diameter range of 7.9 mm to 10.2 mm.

The Xtra quarterly replacement soft multifocal lens from Lifestyle offers patients a variety of near add powers without compromising the distance prescription. The lens is available in +1.00 D, +1.50 D, +2.00 D and +2.50 D. When practitioners order a Lifestyle lens, they will receive four lenses with a combination of near adds based on the prescription instead of the customary two.

The Paragon Hyperpurified Delivery System (HDS) combines the best features of current rigid gas-permeable products in a new contact lens material. HDS has an oxygen permeability measuring 58 Dk. The product has a refractive index of 1.449 and a hardness index of 84.

Wesley Jessen's FreshLook Toric is a soft toric lens packaged and priced for 2-week replacement. The lens is made from Wesley Jessen's patented 55% water phemfilcon A material, and its back surface design incorporates features from DuraSoft lenses. The lenses are available in one base curve, spherical powers of plano to -4.00 D in 0.25-D increments, and cylinder powers of -0.75 D, -1.25 D and 1.75 D. The lenses will eventually be available with -2.25 D cylinder.

Vistakon introduced two major new product enhancements for contact lens patients, ultraviolet blocker and inside-out marks. The company will have a UV-blocker in all its products as well as introduce inside-out marks in all Acuvue and Surevue lenses. Both enhancements are designed to meet consumer need for greater ease of contact lens handling and provide UV protection.

For low vision patients

A product to help low vision patients was also unveiled at the San Antonio meeting. Enhanced Vision Systems introduced Max, a hand-held electronic magnifier. The device, which weighs less than 4 oz., can easily be connected to a TV set and offers 13X and 24X magnification on a 20" television.

Diagnostic instruments

Several new diagnostic instruments made their debut at the Academy. The Discam Optic Nerve Head Analyzer will be jointly distributed by Britain's Marcher Enterprises and Alliance Medical Marketing. The Discam captures digital, stereoscopic images of the optic nerve head. The device's Chevron Disk Analysis system all but eliminates subjectivity in cup-to-disk ratio estimates.

Tomey introduced the Autotopographer. The portable topographer features automatic focusing and acquisition of the patient's topography, without the need for an operator for alignment and picture-taking.

EagleVision's Tearscope Plus total tear film kit is a new, noninvasive way of diagnosing dry eye, fitting contact lenses and treating ocular surface disease. Because the Tearscope Plus allows for the observation of the tear film in vivo, objective measurements can be obtained in a time-saving manner.

Also, companies introduced a variety of products to make optometric practices more efficient. Lifelearn Eyecare, which offers a variety of CD-ROM-based interactive education materials for eye care professionals, has added to its menu the Virtual Eyecare Clinic: Anterior Segment. The user sees 25 virtual patients with a variety of anterior segment problems.

The Vox On-Hold from TeleVox is a digital, PC-based telephone on-hold system designed for optometry practices. The On-Hold is a Pentium laptop that allows customization of on-hold messages, including the ability to easily record personalized messages.

The RealView is an uncomplicated, multitasking telemedicine system from VCOM. It allows for professional relationship building, patient education, file transfer and photodocumentation - all with one-click operation.