Optician articles from July 2005

Optician archives from July 2005

Clinical testing of the MicroBlock antimicrobial lens case.
July 1, 2005... Dr Chris Amos reports on two trials where an antibacterial case was tested against a regular high density polyethylene contact lens case, and offers advice on case care and management Back in the early 1990s, contact lens case contamination...

Communicating with the patient.
July 1, 2005... This week our series aimed at familiarising all practitioners with the core competencies specified by the GOC looks at communication skills It is only recently that the eye care professions have adopted communication skills as an essential...

Handling the changes.
July 1, 2005... The Section 60 changes to contact lens retailing have left many practitioners confused and angry. Chris Bennett asks CIBA Vision managing director Howard Barnes for his take on the amendments Perhaps the highest-profile effect of the...

Material differences.(Market conditions for contact lenses)
July 1, 2005... Record numbers of delegates at last month's BCLA conference were driven not only by the need for UK practitioners to collect CET points, but by the most exciting phase for research and development the contact lens industry has seen in years....

New day dawning.(Market conditions for contact lenses)
July 1, 2005... Optician-only supplier Sauflon finds itself entering the contact lens market during a period of massive change. Chris Bennett spoke to Bradley Wells Breaking into a market dominated by multi-national giants is never easy. Add to that...

Refractive surgery: still in business.
July 1, 2005... Dr Sandip Doshi listens in to a healthy discussion about refractive surgery at this year's BCLA conference Despite an onslaught of negative publicity and competition from new brands of contact lenses, refractive surgery in the UK is very...

Visual recognition ; in contact lenses; Part 2 - Dryness signs and symptoms.
July 1, 2005... Bill Harvey and David Ruston describe clinical appearances that may be indicative of contact lens-related dryness which are important to assess and record either prior to fitting or in assessing the success of lens wear. (C1630) Dry eye is...

Safety first with Pulsafe Pivot.(safety equipment)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Pulsafe Pivot safety spectacles have achieved a new level of sport styling and cushioned comfort, according to manufacturer Bacou-Dalloz. The company said its patented multi material technology MMT offered the wearer a range of practical...

Testing times.
July 1, 2005... I would just like to add to my letter (June 17) regarding a patient who was not seen by an ophthalmologist after I had noticed lattice degeneration in the far periphery of the retina. My main concern is for the patient. At present I use a 90D...

Ready to read with Cross.(Eyewear industry)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... New from William Morris Eyewear is the Cross Precision range of ready-readers, named after the famous brand of writing instruments. The product features scratch-resistant lens coating, lens edge glow, Cross exclusive integrated spring...

Solar Flair is added to the Palette.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Quincey Eyewear has launched a new advanced version of its Palette Rx sunlenses. The new lens range, Solar Flair, combines the properties of the original Palette lens with the advanced photochromic properties of the latest Transitions V. John...

Ic! now in plastic.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Frame firm Ic! Berlin has introduced a new member to its product family with the innovation of 'plastic berlin'. The company described the new frames as a 'sensational and singular crossing between spring-steel and acetate'. Benefits include...

Tutor training goes the distance.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... The introduction of regional workshops for ABDO's correspondence tutors has been deemed a success. The Association's College Distance Learning Institute recently staged six workshops run by Abi Grute, senior lecturer at ABDO College. The head...

Glasses Direct founder wins 'young entrepreneur prize'.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... The 22-year-old founder of controversial online company Glasses Direct has won a top business prize. James Murray Wells saw off competition from over 600 budding tycoons, aged 16 to 30 to win the Shell LiveWire Young Entrepreneur of the Year...

Insurance refusniks to face Register removal.
July 1, 2005... The masses of practitioners who refuse to divulge their insurance details risk being struck off in four weeks' time, the GOC has confirmed. Thousands of practitioners have returned uncompleted GOC renewal registration forms and those who...

Jersey government targets VAT loophole.(Value-added tax)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... The VAT loophole which allows Dollond & Aitchison to import contact lenses from Jersey without attracting import duty is now the subject of a crackdown from the Channel Island's government. Groups that operate in states outside the EU, such as...

Multiple promotes safe sunwear for motorists.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... New research estimates that more than one million of the 9.5 million UK motorists who wear corrective eyewear swap their spectacles for non-prescription sunglasses to drive in sunny conditions. The findings, from a survey conducted by Dollond &...

clipboard cheque.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... The Optical Workers' Benevolent Fund has reaped the rewards of Optrafair's first Clipboard Auction of donated workshop and diagnostic equipment. Birmingham Optical, Essilor, Hilco Europe, Mainline Optical, Norville Autoflow, Topcon and Weco...

Dispensing complaints on increase says OCCS.(Optical Consumer Complaints Service )(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Dispensing is a growing area of grievance among patients and remains the most common territory for customers making a complaint. This is the finding of the latest Optical Consumer Complaints Service report, the annual barometer of consumer...

Pain in the neck? Get an eye test.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... People who suffer from back and neck pain following computer use may need their eyes examined, a team of university researchers has concluded. With millions of people using computers at work a US-Swedish research team is investigating the...

Optometrists face charges next week.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Two optometrists will appear before General Optical Council disciplinary committees next week in separate cases. Brian Suttie, who is based in Chalfont St Giles, is charged with serious professional misconduct related to an appointment on...

War of the lenses.
July 1, 2005... The supermarket contact lens price war has started - as we forecast back in May. Tesco announced its high-profile entry into the contact lens market to the mass media last week, alongside its first-quarter trading statement. As reported in...

Multiple wins more accolades.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Specsavers Opticians has another prize to put in its growing trophy cabinet, this time for information technology. The Guernsey-based multiple beat off electrical retailer Dixons and Switzerland's leading supermarket, Migros, to win the Supply...

New role for Buckley.(Roger Buckley )(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Contact lens expert Professor Roger Buckley has been appointed Bausch & Lomb Professor of Ocular Medicine at Anglia Polytechnic University in Cambridge. He will take up the newly created post at APU's Department of Optometry & Ophthalmic...

College issues its guidance ; on Section 60.(optical industry)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... The College has issued renewed guidance on the Section 60 changes to the Opticians Act which take effect today ( July 1). The guidance is likely to be read closely by new entrants to the contact lens supply business such as Tesco. It is...

Fighting fakes.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... New details have emerged on the Mido show counterfeit crackdown. Frame company Silhouette has revealed it had the stand of a manufacturer exhibiting imitations of Titan Minimal Art frames closed down in Milan. The seizing of merchandise...

Macular event.(healthcare industry)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Over 250 delegates attended last month's Macular Disease Society's conference on low vision. The conference, held in Bristol attracted optometrists, dispensing opticians, ophthalmologists and low vision aid suppliers to share latest trends and...

Coakley tunes in to Sola's prize.(Christopher Coakley of Coakley & Associates)(Sola Optical)(Brief Article)
July 8, 2005... Christopher Coakley, the director of Coakley & Associates in Wisebech, Cambridgeshire, has won a Philips LCD 30in flat-screen television in Sola Optical's Prize Draw in conjunction with Transitions Optical. The prize draw coincided with the...

Communication skills.(education of optometrists)
July 8, 2005... We continue our weekly look at the GOC core competencies by expanding our argument on the significance of good communication skills for accurate history and symptoms taking It is a safe assumption that a patient will attend for an eye...

Creative offers Bended by Robert La Roche.(product launch by Creative Eyewear)(Brief Article)
July 8, 2005... UK frame firm Creative Eyewear is to distribute Bended by Robert La Roche, a collection of 8-base ophthalmic frames that combine high-tech design with 'sporty elegance'. Wraparound technology used for state-of-the-art sunglasses has been...

Doug and Mary's model.(Doug Perkins and Mary Perkins)(Interview)
July 8, 2005... Specsavers has reached the 700th practice milestone with the opening of three practices in Norway. Chris Bennett interviews its founders about the business model, competitors and its long-term strategy There are few names in optics that...

Dunelm adds to Cour Carre line.(product launch by Dunelm Optical)(Brief Article)
July 8, 2005... Dunelm Optical has introduced a number of new executive-styled frames in its Cour Carre collection. The company described the 576 model for men as sleek and sophisticated styling, a full frame with a 'no-nonsense, classic style'. Suitable...

Looking good.(awards of Good Looking Optics)(Brief Article)
July 8, 2005... Good Looking Optics of Enfield has been awarded second place in a competition to find the best new business in the London borough. The judges said the practice has a clear customer strategy and expected Good Looking Optics to meet its target...

Minima Zero goes for more of less.(product information)(Brief Article)
July 8, 2005... The Minima Zero, so named because it has no hinges, screws, nuts, bolts or washers, even nose pads, is now available with a zipped case and an almost invisible saddle bridge. The rimless Minima model, made from lightweight titanium, weighs...

Presio W gives super high index.
July 8, 2005... Nikon Presio W, with Aberration Filter Surface Technology, is now available in super high index 1.74 plastics material. The Presio W, a double-surface design progressive lens, comes in 1.60, 1.67 and now 1.74 index materials. Nikon said that...

Understanding ocular wavefront aberration; Part 1.
July 8, 2005... Aberrometers are increasingly being marketed as accurate autorefractors. In the first of two articles, Professor Neil Charman puts their results in context The increasing clinical availability of commercial wavefront aberrometers means...

No computer? Use a library, says GOC.(General Optical Council)(Brief Article)
July 8, 2005... The huge scale of the new CET rules, which have now formally come into force, has been revealed by the GOC. From June 30 everyone on the register must earn 36 general points by the end of next year to retain registration in 2007. By last month...

Laser interactions in ; the anterior chamber.
July 8, 2005... Douglas Clarkson describes laser interactions which occur in tissue and fluids in the anterior chamber and which the product literature often fails to explain accurately The specific laser interactions which occur in tissue and fluids in...

UK rider signs with Zeal Optics.(partnership with Jules Coventry)(Brief Article)
July 8, 2005... British mountain bike racer Jules Coventry (pictured) has teamed up with Zeal Optics to wear its goggles for the rest of the 2005 championship season. Zeal Optics said it designs innovative sportswear for athletes by athletes. The 30-model...

Objective and subjective refraction.(analysis)
July 8, 2005... To mark the launch of a major new series of textbooks, optician begins a new regular CET series with a short article by Bill Harvey and Andrew Franklin outlining some key points about refraction. CET module C1631 Objective refraction...

Specsavers aids bowling team.(donations of Specsavers Opticians PLC)(Brief Article)
July 8, 2005... Specsavers Opticians in Arbroath, Scotland has sponsored a team of Boccia bowlers in time for the Special Olympics, which takes place from July 2-9 in Scotland. The practice has donated new tracksuits and boccia balls to the team worth over...

Dakota prize for Henderson.(David Henderson)(Brief Article)
July 8, 2005... International Eyewear recently hosted its 15th Dakota Classic golf competition at the Hoylake Royal Liverpool course, which is also hosting the Open Championship next year. The Dakota competition is specifically organised for independent...

Make-up specs are back.(product information of Norville)(Brief Article)
July 8, 2005... Norville says it has the answer for women who want to wear make-up but have trouble seeing their eyes to apply it. Back by popular demand, Norville's flip-down spectacles enable women to apply make-up to each eye in turn. The handy item is...

Iris scan ID trial takes off.
July 8, 2005... Preparations to introduce controversial biometric identity cards in the UK using iris, face and fingerprint recognition, are under way. Heathrow airport is carrying out the first full voluntary trial of the optical ID system on travellers,...

DOs receive guide to Section 60 changes.(Dispensing opticians)(Association of British Dispensing Opticians )(Brief Article)
July 8, 2005... Dispensing opticians have been given an easy-to-grasp guidance package following the important changes to the Opticians Act. It follows the College of Optometrists guidance notes published last week (News, July 1). ABDO has published the advice...

Acquisitive multiple buys into Denmark.(Specsavers Opticians acquires Louis Nielsen)
July 8, 2005... Specsavers Opticians has acquired another Scandinavian group, this time in Denmark. The Guernsey-based business has bought Louis Nielsen, which has a 10 per cent value share of the [pounds sterling]236.5m (DKr2.6bn) Danish optical market. Louis...

Replay invites whole practice.(management of conference in optical industry)(Brief Article)
July 8, 2005... Continuing education company Replay Learning is to return to Bradford and Egham for its autumn clinical conferences. A third event will be staged in Nottingham. The conference dates are Sunday September 25, Sunday October 9 and Sunday October...

DOs to get additional CET help.(dispensing opticians)(Continuing Education and Training)(Association of British Dispensing Opticians )(Brief Article)
July 8, 2005... A specially arranged two-day CET course to help dispensing opticians gain essential CET points before the summer is out has been announced by ABDO. The course will take place on July 31 and August 1 at the Association's Godmersham college, and...

Scotland sees big rise in testing of diabetics.(explication of Health Bill)(Brief Article)
July 8, 2005... Scotland's new Health Bill has now been approved by the Scottish Parliament. Its passing confirms that all patients in Scotland will be eligible for free eye tests from 2007. The news arrived as it was revealed that thousands more people in...

CHRE report hits out at group conversion rates.(Council for Healthcare Regulatory Excellence)
July 8, 2005... Claims that moving from independent practice to working for a corporate group sharply increases conversion rates - and comments about the 'emerging profession' of retinopathists - were challenged last week. The claims have been made by the...

Hospital OO awarded Van Colle prize.(Jo Mackenzie of Leighton Hospital gets Giles Van Colle Memorial Award)(ophthalmic optician)(Brief Article)
July 8, 2005... The second Giles Van Colle Memorial Award has been awarded to optometrist Jo Mackenzie, who works at Leighton Hospital, Crewe. Mackenzie, who has practised at the hospital for four years, told optician that she was surprised and delighted to...

Directors arrested at eyewear giant Moulin.(Moulin Global Eyecare)(Brief Article)
July 8, 2005... Two executives of Moulin Global Eyecare have been arrested on alleged accounting fraud charges after the company went into provisional liquidation with debts of around HK$5.33bn ([pounds sterling]390m). Moulin owns NiGura Metzler in Europe and...

Danes are highest spenders in Europe.(market size of eyewear industry)(Brief Article)
July 8, 2005... Fashion-conscious Danes contribute to what is claimed to be the highest spending national optical market, per patient, in Europe. Denmark's opticians sell between 525,000 and 550,000 spectacles each year, and the country heads the European...

DO Olympian celebrates London win.(Tracey Morris)(dispensing optician)(Brief Article)
July 8, 2005... Dispensing optician and Olympian Tracey Morris celebrated London winning the bid for the 2012 Games at a special event at the English Institute of Sport. The athlete, who competed in last year's Athens Olympics, watched one of the most...

Chinese deal.(Bausch & Lomb Inc. to acquire Shandong Chia Tai Freda Pharmaceutical Group )(Brief Article)
July 8, 2005... Bausch & Lomb is in negotiations to acquire China's leading ophthalmic pharmaceutical firm. The company is to acquire a 55 per cent controlling share interest in the Shandong Chia Tai Freda Pharmaceutical Group (CTF) from Sino Biopharmaceutical...

Actman offers Reiss Eyewear package.
July 15, 2005... Reiss Eyewear is named after the high-street clothing brand and available through frame firm Andrew Actman. The line is described by the company as bridging the gap between high street and international designer brands. 'Reiss eyewear offers a...

Additives and extras.(research)
July 15, 2005... Dr Glynn Walsh concludes his review of the raw materials used by manufacturers of frame materials In the issue of June 17, optician covered the dermatological effects of additives and extras from Abietic acid through to Ethylene acetate....

Avizor introduces Ever Clean solution.
July 15, 2005... Ever Clean contact lens solution is the result of eight years of research into creating a product to clean all contact lenses throughly without the need for rubbing, according to manufacturer Avizor. The product includes a two-layer white and...

Belushi brings out 'Bond It' rimless.(Belushi Sport)(Brief Article)
July 15, 2005... At first sight this frame looks little different to many other rimless three-piece frames on the market, but a closer look reveals no screw or plug. Indeed the titanium frame - 'Bond It' from Belushi Sport, launched this summer - is secured in...

Colourful cleaning courtesy of Hilco.(Brief Article)
July 15, 2005... Hilco's range of colourful patterned cloths includes vibrant photo prints with images designed to appeal to all age groups and genders. There are also solid colour cloths, ranging from bright colours to rich tones and spring hues. The cloths...

Compact reader joins the fold.(product information of Marchon and Marcolin Eyewear Inc.)(Brief Article)
July 15, 2005... The compact folding reader from Calvin Klein is presented in a miniature case and comes to order as a package with a display stand from Marchon. Lipstick size, the patented folding design with telescopic temples is ideal for discreet and...

Eyewear laced with Belgian style.(product information of Theo Bauwens N.V.)(Brief Article)
July 15, 2005... Fashion frame firm Theo of Antwerp has created the 'Antwerp Mesh' and 'Bruges Laces' designs currently on show on the Belgium Pavilion at the World Expo in Japan. The founders, Wim Somers and Patrick Hoet, Belgium opticians, had to present...

Laura Ashley tempts with two-tone and titanium.
July 15, 2005... There are three new two-tone acetate models in the Laura Ashley collection - Miranda, Mimi and Ellie - aimed at attracting customers in a younger age range. These come in two-tone black lily and toffee, while a host of titanium models,...

Moorfields treats victims.(Moorfields Eye Hospital)(Brief Article)
July 15, 2005... Moorfields Eye Hospital treated six patients in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks in London last week. 'Six patients were treated for minor glass-related eye injuries and have since been discharged,' confirmed a spokesman for the...

Nutritional supplements What practitioners should know.(analysis)
July 15, 2005... As patients begin to turn to eye care practitioners for advice on nutrition, Pamela Mason summarises current knowledge Nutritional supplements are of considerable interest to the general public and sales in the UK amount to [pounds...

Unusual case studies.(myasthenia gravis, diplopia and ophthalmoplegia)
July 15, 2005... Kirit Patel presents three case studies - myasthenia gravis, inter-nuclear ophthalmoplegia and botox-related double vision case study 1 Myasthenia gravis A 29 year-old male patient attended the clinic with complaints of double vision. Two...

Closer inspection.(management of Inspec Group PLC)(Company Profile)
July 15, 2005... Returning to our series on British frame design, Rob Moss visits what Business Week described as one of Europe's '100 hottest growth companies' International optics is dominated by companies from Italy, France and Germany, but if you...

Introduction to Geometrical Optics.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
July 15, 2005... This handy-sized paperback text is based on an extensive teaching career at New York's SUNY Department where optometry has been taught over the years in a changing climate of education and practice. Katz combines much traditional method, which...

Core subject 1 ; Communication skills.
July 15, 2005... We continue our weekly look at the GOC core competencies by expanding our argument over the significance of good communication skills for accurate history and symptoms taking For the purposes of guiding the pre-registration optometrists...

Independents Day set to be an annual event.(independent practitioners surveyed)(Brief Article)
July 15, 2005... Over 100 independent practitioners attended the first Independents Day at the National Motorcycle Museum on July 4 and plans are already under way for a 2006 event. The event, organised by training company Proven Track Record (PTR), gave...

GOS forms update.(health policy of United Kingdom. Department of Health)(Brief Article)
July 15, 2005... From August 1 all GOS1 forms must be countersigned by a practitioner and contractor in accordance with changes in Department of Health legislation. In circumstances where the optometrist is also the contractor or authorised signatory one...

College spells out Section 60 advice.(College of Optometrists)(Brief Article)
July 15, 2005... The College of Optometrists has spelled out in more detail the changes to its guidance to support the Section 60 Order changes to the Opticians Act. Although the spotlight has fallen on issues relating to contact lenses (Chapters 27 to 30) and...

OO fails third attempt to return to Register.(Ashim Parti investigated by General Optical Council)(ophthalmic optician)
July 15, 2005... An optometrist has failed for the third time to be re-admitted to the Register, being told he cannot be trusted to uphold the standards of the profession. Ashim Parti was struck off the Register after the General Optical Council (GOC) found he...

Time to reflect.(human resource management of eyewear industry)(Brief Article)
July 15, 2005... The recent flurry of commercial and legislative change must surely be followed by a period of consolidation and reflection. Not least for the sanity of this year's intake of new people. Few practitioners can not have been affected by the many...

Curb on high dose vitamin C.(regulation)(Brief Article)
July 15, 2005... Vitamins and supplements are to come under stricter controls from August 1 this year following a European Court ruling. Around 200 products across Europe are expected to be taken off the shelves following the ruling and only vitamins and...

ten four good buddy.(marketing of Weco UK)(Brief Article)
July 15, 2005... Weco's customised 24-tonne American truck made it to Exeter this week on its tour of the UK. The 17-metre monster is fitted with the latest Weco products suitable for the smallest to the largest practice workshop. The company says the...

Belarus kids enjoy their trip.(donations of Specsavers Opticians PLC)(Brief Article)
July 15, 2005... Specsavers Opticians in Ringwood, Hampshire recently treated 10 Belarusian youngsters to an eye-opening adventure. The seven and eight year-olds are from Mogilev in Belarus, part of the fallout zone from the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster....

All we need to know.(General Certificate of Secondary Education)(Brief Article)(Column)
July 22, 2005... Can you imagine the reaction of the general public if the Government announced that their children could sit as many GCSEs as they liked, but if they passed more than seven, the rest wouldn't count. As a profession we are a joke. Doctors, held...

Bierley's MonoMouse ; An affordable video magnifier.
July 22, 2005... As more visually impaired patients enquire about electronic magnifying devices, Jane Macnaughton describes a new and easily affordable addition to those available in the UK It is so refreshing when something new comes on the market for...

Core subject 1 ; Communication skills.(management and analysis)
July 22, 2005... We continue our weekly look at the GOC core competencies by expanding our argument over the significance of good comminication skills for accurate history and symptoms taking For the purposes of guiding pre-registration optometrists through...

Domiciliary rules are extra burden.(National health service)(General Optical Council)(Column)
July 22, 2005... I would just like to endorse Robin Dawson's well written letter (July 1) which questions the sense of the new rules requiring prior notification of domiciliary visits. I too undertake home visits to individuals, both through our busy...

Eye Index unveils easy to use website.(Brief Article)
July 22, 2005... Specialist prescription laboratory Eye Index has launched a new website - www.eyeindex.co.uk As well as providing details of mainstream lens services, there is a focus on specialist prescription services. There are separate sections on rimless...

Eye essentials 2; Advanced instrumentation.
July 22, 2005... Advances in technology have led to improvements in methods of measuring and assessing ocular structures. The increasing use of the laser has developed alongside microprocessor improvements allowing miniaturisation of hardware and greater...

IXMUS - Colour field charts; for macular assessment.(methods of vision screening)
July 22, 2005... optician looks at a recent addition to the simple yet effective card based methods of vision screening All eye care practitioners and increasing numbers of patients are familiar with the Amsler chart for screening and monitoring of central...