Optician articles from March 2006

Optician archives from March 2006

Food for thought.
March 24, 2006... Optician's clinical editor, Bill Harvey, and Professor Robert Fletcher (below) look at two books regarding nutrition and the eye On seeing that this book was now finally available, my first response was 'at last!' Many patients now ask for...

Arteritic ischaemic optic neuropathy (AION) Giant cell arteritis, temporal arteritis.
March 24, 2006... DESCRIPTION Giant cell arteritis (GCA) is the most common vasculitis in humans. It can affect arteries of all sizes, especially the temporal, vertebral and posterior ciliary arteries. Involvement of the latter, as in AION, can cause severe and...

Screening for choroidal neovascularisation.(risk factors of diseases)
March 24, 2006... In the latest in our CET series concerning macular disease, Krishnappa Madhusudhana and Richard Newsom discuss and compare the various ways of screening effectively for age-related macular degeneration in its various clinical presentations ...

News.
March 24, 2006... 1 For which of the following sports is there a specific British Standard for protective appliances? A Squash B Football C Golf D Swimming 2 Which of the following is the most popular UK sporting activity? A Squash B Football C Golf D...

Wood is used in Arc.(optical eye)(Brief article)
March 24, 2006... Kawai has again juxtaposed natural wood and acetate with two new patterns, having won the 2005 Silmo d'Or with a combination of the materials in Beam 2. The Arc and Plus styles make use of ultra-thin wood laminate that is layered for...

Multiple donates [pounds sterling]10k to VAO.
March 24, 2006... Vision Aid Overseas received a [pounds sterling]10,000 contribution from corporate partner Vision Express at its annual conference in Vilamoura, Portugal last month. The money is enough for VAO to run two overseas projects and reach over...

News.(disease screening)(Brief article)
March 24, 2006... 1 What is the current five-year incidence for AMD in the UK? A 12 per cent B 29 per cent C 0.9 per cent D 80 per cent 2 Which of the following fundus viewing lenses would be best suited for macular disease screening? A Superfield B 20D C...

Gold medallist to speak at Independents Day.(Independents Day conference)
March 24, 2006... Independent practitioners will be urged to be exceptional by a gold medal winner who has addressed such companies as Barclays Bank and the John Lewis Partnership. Marc Woods, champion swimmer and now motivational lecturer will be the...

Swimming in CLs.
March 24, 2006... Optician reports on new advice for contact lens wearers who swim Any contact lens wearer who is even moderately ametropic will be aware of the problems posed by a visit to the swimming pool or beach. Keep the lenses in and losing them is a...

Oscar carries off masculine lines.
March 24, 2006... Oscar from the Kirk Originals Sculpture collection is launching at the Mido exhibition in Milan in May. The heavy acetate silhouette frame features 'strong masculine lines' and 'black/aluminium sides' and is described as a 'real frame for...

Modern sports optical appliances.(optic vision of sports persons)
March 24, 2006... Geraint Griffiths describes the basis of sports vision therapy, including some case studies, and goes on to describe specific appliances available (C3609, one standard CET point) Sport is the biggest and most diverse occupation in Britain...

Green tint option for NuPolar lenses.(product information of NuPolar polarised lenses )(Brief article)
March 24, 2006... NuPolar polarised lenses from Norville are now available in green tint in addition to existing grey and brown options. Available as a wrap base for sports Rx and matching the Ray-Ban Green 15, the green option also comes in 1.5 hard resin...

Tango inspires latest Dior line.(colour shades of sunglass)(Brief article)
March 24, 2006... The latest Toreadior sunglass collection from Christian Dior is inspired by the 'sensual Argentinian tango' and features light double-bridge aviator frames with glittering Swarovski strass to displace the otherwise 'masculine feel' of the...

News.
March 24, 2006... Cooke competes in CLs at Games Boots Opticians contact lens optician Graeme Stevenson is once again providing Rebecca Cooke (pictured) with her contact lenses for this year's Commonwealth Games. Last time, in Manchester, Cooke won two gold...

Marchon Eyewear adds 770 to Airlock.
March 24, 2006... The Airlock 770 series is the latest addition to Marchon Eyewear's rimless Airlock collection. The hinged range combines the lightweight feel of Airlock with the current trend for plastics, said the company. Easily adjustable plastic...

Rugby star fitted with toric lenses.
March 24, 2006... J&J has launched Acuvue Advance for Astigmatism, which it described as 'the biggest breakthrough in technology for the toric contact lens category in 15 years'. It said that the lens was an innovation in vision care, providing 'astigmatic...

The Heidelberg Retina Tomograph III Practice-friendly glaucoma screening.
March 24, 2006... Bill Harvey tries out the latest incarnation of the Heidelberg Tomograph and finds it has several interesting features that distinguish it from the increasingly popular HRT II device It is four years now since we trialled the HRT II...

A dinner with a difference.(Brief article)
March 24, 2006... John Hart Optometrists in Yeovil celebrated its 75th anniversary with a 1920s themed dinner-dance raising [pounds sterling]750 for the charity Fight for Sight. Over 80 people attended the event and dispensing optician Deborah Norton...

Superdrug contact lenses sales probed.
March 24, 2006... The GOC said this week it would make a statement shortly about the sale of plano contact lenses through Superdrug outlets. It follows the withdrawal of Argos from the sector last September after Optician informed the giant catalogue retailer...

The Physio progressive lens concept is launched.
March 24, 2006... Essilor is claiming a new concept in progressive lens design with the introduction of the Varilux Physio. The semi-finished point-to-point manufactured lens uses analysis of the whole beam of light entering the eye, claimed Essilor. This...

Book your Awards place today.
March 24, 2006... Seats are selling out fast for this year's Optician Awards ceremony in London. The Awards will be presented at a black tie dinner and evening of entertainment on April 25 in the Radisson SAS Hotel Portman Square. As well as a top host...

Mikah on the road.
March 24, 2006... A fashion show beamed onto a large plasma screen will form the centrepiece of a nationwide designer eyewear roadshow next month. Mikah Eyewear has teamed up with Rodenstock on the lens side to present its new frame lines around the country...

Sunglass focus at Mido show.(Brief article)
March 24, 2006... The European Sunglass Association and the Sunglass Association of America will host the 12th Annual International Sunglass Industry Dinner on May 6 at the Mido show in Milan. The dinner attracts more than 150 key players in the sunglass...

Gold medallist to speak at Independents Day.(Brief article)
March 24, 2006... Independent practitioners will be urged to be exceptional by a gold medal winner who has addressed such companies as Barclays Bank and the John Lewis Partnership. Marc Woods, champion swimmer and now motivational lecturer will be the...

GOC counts the cost of aborted eBay case.
March 24, 2006... Yesterday's full meeting of the GOC heard that its aborted prosecution of eBay has cost the Council thousands of pounds. Earlier this month the Harley Street regulator backed away from its courtroom confrontation with the giant internet...

Buyout at Ocuco will lead to expansion.
March 24, 2006... Ocuco, the practice management software specialist whose clients include Vision Express, is poised for international expansion after completing a management buyout which values the Dublin business at U5m. Led by CEO Leo Mac Canna, the...

face of specs promotion.
March 24, 2006... Specsavers has enlisted Liverpool-born actress Jennifer Ellison to launch its Spectacle Wearer of the Year promotion. Ellison, who starred in Brookside before embarking on a pop career, said 'glasses can be used very effectively as a fashion...

US probes new keratitis cases.
March 24, 2006... Investigators probing the outbreak of fungal keratitis among contact wearers in Asia are now looking into similar cases reported in the US. It was last month when sales of Bausch & Lomb's ReNu multipurpose solution were halted in Hong Kong...

OO promises to make a fresh start.(Brief article)
March 24, 2006... An optometrist was restored to the Opticians Register this week after he told a registration appeals panel that he is committed to a fresh start. Nottingham-based Robert Matthew Thompson, who forged NHS forms to improve his domiciliary...

Stephen Wilkinson.(Obituary)(Brief article)
March 24, 2006... Dispensing optician Stephen Wilkinson, who worked for Thomas H Collison, has died. Steve qualified in 1975, writes Mark Godfrey, the company's south coast regional manager, and spent most of his career working for the Alfred Hawes/Clifford...

Guest speaker.(Brief article)(Conference notes)
March 24, 2006... Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department for International Development Gareth Thomas MP is guest speaker at a forthcoming Optometry Giving Sight conference in London on April 12. The charity's latest fundraising project is...

murray wells is far from sheepish.(James Murray Wells)(Brief article)
March 24, 2006... Glassesdirect boss James Murray Wells has launched an aggressive [pounds sterling]250,000 advertising campaign in Newcastle as a test-bed for a larger marketing drive. Murray Wells has appointed media company Sledge to develop the campaign,...

MP hears OO's fears.
March 24, 2006... Shadow home affairs minister Edward Garnier is the latest MP to be told of the importance of eye care on visiting his local OO. Optometrist Peter Warren told the politician many practices in England could curtail their NHS work unless an...

Profession praised for cataract referral role.(praising optometrists)(Brief article)
March 24, 2006... The profession's direct referral role in improving cataract waiting list times has been praised by the House of Commons health select committee. However, the committee heard how the government's emphasis on improving figures on the treatment of...

Much still to be done in care for the elderly.
March 24, 2006... The profession has written to the government's tsar for older people's services to emphasise the importance of domiciliary eye tests. The aim is make sure Professor Ian Philp, who is tasked to deliver the new report on health services for...

Behcet's disease - syndrome.
March 31, 2006... DESCRIPTION Behcet's disease is a chronic multisystem inflammatory syndrome that may include anterior uveitis, posterior uveitis and retinal vasculitis. The disease has a characteristic diagnostic triad of iritis, oral and genital ulcers. Often...

Freaks c'est chic.
March 31, 2006... An attention-grabbing acetate frame collection called Freaks from Eye 'DC offers three 'wacky' forms: inverse triangles, one round and one square lens and a 'sexy 69 version'. Eye 'DC is the originator of the 'successive linear application...

Rodenstock updates the ColorMatic line.
March 31, 2006... As of April, Rodenstock's ColorMatic single-vision 1.52 lenses will be superseded by a new 1.54-index version offering a tougher, more resilient lens solution with faster fade-back. ColorMatic comes in a wide range of single-vision,...

Dealing with difficult staff.
March 31, 2006... Your new staff member is perfectly competent at what he does, but his difficult personality makes his presence in your practice less than desirable. Mark Pipkin explains how the ability of an individual to do his job doesn't necessarily mean he...

News.(General Optical Council fails over the eBay case)
March 31, 2006... A rock and a hard place To say that the GOC finds itself between a rock and a hard place over the failure of the eBay case and the increasing demands for action to be taken against internet suppliers of spectacles, is probably an...

Maximising the potential of your practice Part 1 - Tracking performance.(opticians)
March 31, 2006... Independent practices face tough challenges in an increasingly competitive optical market. In the first of a new three-part series, Patrick Myers looks at how to track the performance of your practice and where to go for business advice ...

Kata becomes architecturally inspired.(Kata Eyewear)(Brief article)
March 31, 2006... Simple form and subtle detailing are the inspiration for two new temple designs that capture the spirit of the Kata Eyewear brand. Originally inspired by an architectural detail, the company said the Peel temple design 'speaks of the...

News.(diagnosis of scleritis)(Brief article)
March 31, 2006... 1 The vascular layer involved in scleritis is: A Limbal plexus B Conjunctival plexus C Superficial episcleral plexus D Scleral plexus 2 Scleritis is diagnosed by: A Deep purple shade and congestion of the episcleral plexus B The presence of...

New collection of Dolce & Gabbana.(eyewear)
March 31, 2006... Luxottica has produced its first Dolce & Gabbana and D&G optical collections for spring/summer 2006. For Dolce & Gabbana there are a mix of round, generously sized women's frames, inspired by the 1970s, as well as simpler, leaner...

Scleritis: Clinical features, treatment and systemic associations.
March 31, 2006... Robert Petrarca describes the various presentations of a significant cause of eye pain, and reviews the many systemic associations with the condition (C3656, one standard point) Inflammation of the sclera includes a wide spectrum of...

Support staff training programme Module 1 - Patient insight.(advice from optometrists)
March 31, 2006... In the first of our support staff modules, published in liaison with Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, we take a look at our perceptions of patients and consider how we may influence patient attitudes to contact lens wear. Welcome to the next...

How much are you really worth?
March 31, 2006... CIBA Vision's recent roadshow offered practical advice on calculating, implementing and communicating professional fee-based pricing. Optician went along to one event to find out more Since the new regulations on contact lens supply took...

Feeling positive?(optical industry trends)
March 31, 2006... Good results in all benchmarks this month means the turnover figure is at its highest point since August 2003 February brings some positive results with most benchmarks performing better than January and many exceeding results for February...

Ideal system.
March 31, 2006... Ideal Golf, Ideal Pol and Ideal Image join Ideal Protection to complete the 'ultimate eye protection system' from Silhouette. Ideal Golf (above) has been developed to meet the eye protection, performance and style requirements of the...

Mid-Optic hopes the market will soon CliC into place.(eyewears)(CliC Vision patents mechanism)(Brief article)
March 31, 2006... CliC Vision has a patented connection mechanism built into the bridge and attaches around the neck using a colourful band. The CliC design allows the eye pieces to be separated in the middle and hang around the neck when not needed. When...

Create an impact with Lotus latest.
March 31, 2006... There are four new styles in the Lotus eyewear collection, with masculine styling in a range described by Andrew Actman as combining engineering expertise and creative experience. The company added that the collection was high quality,...

Hearing things.
March 31, 2006... I normally read the Comments page in Optician with interest but today it was more with ironic amusement. Who, I wonder, are 'some voices in Scotland wondering about the deregulation of refraction'. None of these voices have been heard among the...

Pretty pastels and fashion.
March 31, 2006... The Chantrelle range has been extended with 14 new metal frames including supras and full frames in pretty pastels and elegant styles to suit the 'mature woman'. Fretwork and diamante detailing and soft sweeping metalwork finishing...

Photochromic range with Transitions V.
March 31, 2006... Carl Zeiss has extended its range of Clarlet 1.6/1.67 Transitions progressive lenses with photochromic lenses with the refractive index 1.5 and Transitions V technology. The additions are: Clarlet 1.5 Gradal Top E Transitions; Clarlet 1.5...

Surprises and sweeteners.
March 31, 2006... Gordon Brown's latest budget included some sweeteners but also a few nasty surprises. Finance expert Paula Tallon examines the detail Gordon Brown made one specific change affecting optometry under current rules no tax charge arises on the...

Lens service switch.(Lens-online acquired by Seiko Optical UK)(Brief article)
March 31, 2006... Lens-online, founded by Neil Appleton, a former officer with the Federation of Manufacturing Opticians and managing director of Sola Optical, has sold its independent spectacle lens business to Seiko Optical UK. The deal was confirmed in a...

Deception too serious for place on list.
March 31, 2006... A former DO who was given a suspended jail sentence for obtaining nearly [pounds sterling]10,000 from his employers, Specsavers, by deception has failed in his bid for a place on the student optometrist register. The GOC's registration appeals...

High Court to decide VAT exemption case.
March 31, 2006... Specsavers will meet HM Revenue & Customs in the High Court on Wednesday in an attempt to overturn a VAT tribunal decision that could have potential implications for the whole of retail optics. The appeal relates to a decision by Customs...

Is spring sprung?(Editorial)(Brief article)
March 31, 2006... Warmer weather always makes people positive and perky after the long winter chill and it wasn't just the Mothering Sunday dafs pushing skyward in the warm spring sunshine this weekend. Followers of the Optician Index can't have failed to...

Sex offender struck off.
March 31, 2006... An optometrist whose computer contained around 600 pornographic images of children has been struck off. The images were found when police raided the London home of Ashley Gould in 2004. Investigations discovered 457 still images and a...

DO who tested eyes back on the register.(dispensing optician)(case against unregistered medical practitioner being appealed)(Brief article)
March 31, 2006... The dispensing optician who was struck off 14 months ago for illegally testing the eyes of an optometrist has been accepted back to the register at a professional hearing. David John Semmens, a former Brixham Yacht Club commodore, was...

gisele unveils vogue designs.
March 31, 2006... Supermodel Gisele Bundchen revealed the new advertising campaign for Vogue Eyewear at a Luxottica-organised function last week in New York. The Brazilian model was on hand to unveil the latest collections, as the icon for Vogue eyewear. As the...

Sainsbury joins online contact lens price war.
March 31, 2006... Retailing giant Sainsbury became the latest supermarket to stride into the contact lens price war, joining Asda and Tesco. The newcomer claims its offer of dailies and monthlies is 'up to 40 per cent cheaper than opticians' high street...

Free shop fit linked to frame sales.
March 31, 2006... Practitioners attending the Mikah Eyewear/Rodenstock roadshows next week (News, March 24) can benefit from a free shopfit worth up to [pounds sterling]40,000, linked to the sale of Mikah's frames. Mikah chairman, optometrist Imran Hakim...

Rx leaflet drop.
March 31, 2006... Over 400,000 members of the public will next month receive the latest Rx patient leaflet from marketing support group, the Independent Marketing Partnership. Membership of the marketing support scheme has also increased by 76 per cent...

Concern over Which? probe.
March 31, 2006... The contact lens sector was bracing itself for potentially damaging media claims next week when Which? magazine publishes a new investigation on the market. The article, which is embargoed until next Thursday, is expected to claim that some...

GOS review begins.(General Optical Council's Health promotion)
March 31, 2006... The review of the GOS in England has started in earnest with a series of questions posed by the Department of Health to the optical bodies and other interested parties. Efforts to break down red tape and other barriers to improved integration...

Welsh review.(750 practitioners respond to survey on eye tests)(Brief article)
March 31, 2006... Over a quarter of Wales's 750 practitioners contacted have responded to a survey in the Principality. The results will contribute to Optometry Wales's submission to the Welsh Eyecare Review. FODO boss David Hewlett said: 'Our colleagues...