Optician articles from April 2005

Optician archives from April 2005

Idiopathic brow underaction.
April 1, 2005... Dr Russell Watkins and Professor David Elliott describe a common condition about which there has been all too little concern among practitioners Idiopathic brow underaction (IBU) is a condition where the patient is unable to raise their...

IntraLase - a review.
April 1, 2005... Sheraz Daya outlines a new approach to refractive surgery and describes his experience with the technique IntraLase, the femtosecond laser in commercial use, is now available at Centre for Sight in the UK, one of only 166 of such lasers...

A new silicone hydrogel lens.
April 1, 2005... Jayne Schofield looks at the oxygen transmissibility and permeability of silicone hydrogel lenses, comparing O2Optix with three other silicone hydrogel lenses on the market The development of silicone hydrogel materials and the accelerating...

Club class.(contact lens)
April 1, 2005... Three international experts on rigid contact lens fitting came to the UK last month for the latest gathering of Ciba Vision's Specialist Club members. Alison Ewbank reports What is a specialist contact lens fitter? A practitioner who fits...

Diabetes care remains 'patchy and piecemeal'.
April 1, 2005... Patients with diabetes, the major cause of blindness in the UK, continue to suffer a 'patchy and piecemeal' service a new Department of Health report has admitted. Over two years since a diabetes strategy was put in place - and three and a half...

Lens company merger given the go-ahead.
April 1, 2005... The merger between the Carl Zeiss Ophthalmic Lens Division and Sola International is now complete, following the approval of antitrust authorities in the US and the EU as well as Australia and Switzerland. The merger was approved by...

A classic breed.
April 15, 2005... Rory Brogan visits Dunhill's head office on London's Jermyn Street and discovers a new chapter in the brand's history, with the launch of its latest-generation eyewear for men When Alfred Dunhill was clocked driving at 22.5 mph and fined...

Are you using all your functions?
April 15, 2005... At a recent meeting organised by Haag-Streit UK, an analogy was drawn between digital imaging systems and mobile phone use. optician reports As increasing numbers of practitioners use imaging systems in their practice, it would appear that...

Frederick Ridley; (1904-1977).(Brief Article)(Biography)
April 15, 2005... Frederick Thomas Ridley was born and educated in Birmingham. He graduated in 1922 and became pathologist at the Central London Ophthalmic Hospital. He then worked at the Western Ophthalmic Hospital and in 1928 gained his FRCS and joined the...

Multiple pathways.
April 15, 2005... In an article allied to our ongoing series on the eye care pathways, Dr Kamlesh Chauhan and Dr Rob Hogan describe a view from the perspective of a major high street multiple In December 2002, the Government set up a National Eye Care...

To buy or not to buy?(eyeglass frames purchasing)
April 15, 2005... Choosing which frames to buy for your practice is one of the easiest ways to differentiate your offering from the competition. Emma White and Rob Moss provide 10 top tips on frame purchasing 1 Who is the buyer? The best person to purchase...

Altra Optics UK makes its debut.(WhiteVision acquires distribution rights for Soho Eyes)(Zeal Optics launches website)
April 15, 2005... A new optical company Altra Optics UK, part of the Shamir group, has started business from its base in Cambridge this month. The company is led by managing director John Hockney, supported by sales director Graham Brierley, and in addition to...

Survey reveals one in eight avoid eye exam.
April 15, 2005... Two-thirds of adults in Britain wear vision correction but one in eight of all consumers have never had their eyes tested because they do not see the need or have never had a problem. Almost all those who have visited an optician are satisfied...

Daily disposable will be launched at Optrafair.
April 15, 2005... Sauflon will launch its opticians-only daily disposable NewDay contact lens at Optrafair (April 16). NewDay has been designed and manufactured in the UK by Sauflon at the company's Hampshire manufacturing plant (News, March 25). The business...

GOC explains credit limit to practitioners.(General Optical Council)
April 15, 2005... The General Optical Council has confirmed that the number of additional CET credits practitioners can carry over from the first six months of this year will be limited to six. The original plan for the three-year CET cycle concluding at the end...

Tribunal hears denial of 'threats and abuse'.
April 15, 2005... Conflicting claims have emerged in the latest evidence from the employment tribunal of Colin and Sa-ang Smith. Smith, a former employee and director of Specsavers Opticians in Basildon, has claimed he was threatened and abused before losing...

A world class event.
April 22, 2005... As a major international conference on vision takes place in London for the first time, optician describes the highlights Trumpets sounded through Parliament Square to signal the opening of Vision 2005 and the start of a major international...

The Nidek MP1 - ; Looking for a market.(Product/Service Evaluation)
April 22, 2005... Bill Harvey describes how a new instrument has potential in several areas of practice against the background of the increasing body of research into its use Occasionally a new instrument appears, usually designed and built overseas, which...

Vitamin formula for the eyes.
April 22, 2005... Launched this month is a new range of vitamins aimed at reducing the risk of macular degeneration, called Viteyes. The supplements contain the same combination of antioxidant vitamins and minerals recommended in a 10-year study carried out by...

Intermittent Photic Stimulator.
April 22, 2005... Andrew Field talks the reader through the new IPS (Intermittent Photic Stimulator) system, now available online The Mallett Intermittent Photic Stimulator,1 available for many years, had many practitioners and their patients as keen...

Varicella zoster (chickenpox and shingles).
April 22, 2005... In the third of our series on systemic disorders and the eye, Dr Iain Phillips looks at a very common infection, chickenpox, its ocular effects and related infective conditions Chickenpox is a viral illness caused by the Varicella zoster...

Dispensing in domiciliary practice.
April 22, 2005... Graham O'Regan offers more tips on the use of easily available equipment to ensure a high standard of domiciliary service Providing the patient with all the facilities they could have in a high street practice has always been the aim in...

Flight for sight.(Orbis Flying Eye Hospital)
April 22, 2005... Emma White visits the Orbis Flying Eye Hospital when it touched down at London Stansted as part of the Vision 2005 conference earlier this month Every five seconds someone somewhere in the world goes blind, yet 75 per cent of cases are...

Lasik: A Handbook for Optometrists.(Book Review)
April 22, 2005... Joy Myint reviews a useful text that looks at Lasik and Lasek surgery from the optometrist's perspective Lasik: A Handbook for Optometrists is a useful guide for optometrists involved in refractive surgery shared care and also those who...

Frank Dickinson (1906-1978).(Biography)
April 22, 2005... Frank Dickinson was born in Blackpool and spent most of his optical life in St Anne's, Lancashire. He travelled extensively and on his second trip to the US in 1939 to meet transatlantic contact lens pioneers such as Obrig and Feinbloom, he...

A new pachymeter - the 300G.(Product/Service Evaluation)
April 22, 2005... Bill Harvey tries out the latest pachymeter which is about to be marketed to optometrists We have in recent issues of Instrument Focus tried out a selection of pachymeters. Increasingly these instruments are capable of accurate...

Kowa Genesis D - A new hand-held retinal camera.
April 22, 2005... Bill Harvey tries out a new mydriatic camera and is impressed by its portability There are increasing numbers of patients for whom access to eye care is a problem. With well over a million people in the UK classified as housebound, the...

Role of OOs is unclear.(Optometrists)(eye care survey)
April 22, 2005... Research by the College of Optometrists and optician suggests that the British public may take some persuading before they routinely consult an optometrist for eye treatment. Although from June 30, optometrists will be able to prescribe and...

ABDO repeats call for equality in 'manifesto'.(Association of British Dispensing Opticians)
April 22, 2005... Dispensing body ABDO has launched its own 'manifesto' ahead of the General Election. The professional body hopes it can use the current campaign to reiterate the concern that its members are being left behind in the modernised NHS era....

Business is brisk as show holds its own.(Optrafair)
April 22, 2005... At a time of uncertainty over CET and growing fears for consumer confidence, Optrafair provided a welcome diversion for its thousands of visitors. Exhibitors told optician the event had improved as an arena to do business in, and there were...

Dispensing decline.
April 29, 2005... Eye examinations and dispensing continued to decline over March, but new contact lens fits are improving compared to last year and turnover per eye examination remains high. Turnover is showing some growth over the last period. Eye examinations...

An audit of record-keeping in a domiciliary setting one year on.(Healthcall Optical Services)
April 29, 2005... Dawn Roberts and Arif Ladha discuss the follow-up audit of clinical records carried out at Healthcall Optical Services in the latter part of 2004 As quality assurance and clinical governance continue to remain high on the agenda within the...

Ocular therapeutics - Part 15 ; Disorders of the cornea, conjuctiva and sclera.
April 29, 2005... In the second of two modules covering the management of common anterior eye disorders, Dr Mfazo Hove and Christopher Hammond discuss conditions affecting the cornea, conjuctiva and sclera, together with the management of ocular trauma (C1068)...

Running a successful; optical practice.
April 29, 2005... Part 4 - Managing products Stocking the right products at the right time and at the right level is a hard task for any business, whether new or established. Dr Ian Moss looks at the various approaches to stock control and purchasing In...

Boots offers locums a bonus of free CET.(Boots Opticians)(Brief Article)
April 29, 2005... A multiple is offering locums a free day of CET at its prestigious conference if they work a dozen or more days at the company this summer. The offer is part of Boots Opticians' new two-year preferred supplier deal with ETI Centre Locum Link,...

Vote of confidence.
April 29, 2005... Beth Elgood comments on the results of the NOP research commissioned by the College of Optometrists and optician and explains how the information will be used The College is proud to have sponsored the research into consumer habits and...

AOI hosts centenary conference in Dublin.(Association of Optometrists)
April 29, 2005... UK practitioners had the opportunity to gain six CET points in the Republic of Ireland this month. The continuing education was available at the Association of Optometrists Ireland centenary convention at the Grand Hotel Malhide, Dublin, held...