Optician articles from October 2006

Optician archives from October 2006

Congenital hypertrophy of the retinal pigment epithelium.
October 13, 2006... DESCRIPTIONCongenital hypertrophy of the retinal pigment epithelium (CHRPE - 'chirpy') is a benign condition where the pigmentary lesions may be unilateral or bilateral, solitary or multifocal, with the latter sometimes being in the form of...

Abdo awards medals.(Association of British Dispensing Opticians)(Brief article)
October 13, 2006... ABDO's new president Kevin Milsom made three presentations at this week's ABDO annual dinner for contribution to the profession. ABDO's Medal of Excellence was awarded to Chris Burton for service to the Academic Committee, as chairman and a...

Long service is marked by group.
October 13, 2006... ? Nicholas Bateman has made five presentations to Batemans staff for 25 years' loyal service. DOs Judith Henderson (above) and Terry Tegally of Godalming and Wokingham and optometrists Melissa Waters and Linda Worringer of Salisbury and...

Exclusive but not healthy.(Letter to the editor)
October 13, 2006... - My son has just arrived home a little late from school. He tried to get a different bus to the usual, but wasn't allowed on because there was only one of him. The conductor explained that the bus company had a new sales policy: not to sell...

Timely CET article earns industry praise.(Continuing Education and Training )
October 13, 2006... As CET became a statutory necessity in mid-2005, Optician was pleased to expand the range of CET accredited articles offered to readers. However, this meant there was much stiffer competition for the CET article of the year award. As in...

When prism is a problem.
October 13, 2006... Any object viewed through a prism appears to be displaced towards the apex, with the amount of deviation dependent on the prism's power. CF Prentice suggested a way of quantifying this power. The unit 'prism dioptre' is where the tangent of the...

D&A rows the Thames for Moorfields.
October 13, 2006... ? Dollond & Aitchison went the extra mile to raise funds for Moorfields Eye Hospital by sending eight of its executives down the Thames in two skiff boats.The eight-man team including CEO Andy Ferguson travelled 33 miles to Henley and surpassed...

DO represents Great Britain in triathlon event.(dispensing optician Dave Stevens )(Brief article)
October 13, 2006... ? Dispensing optician Dave Stevens recently represented Great Britain in the triathlon world championships in Lausanne Switzerland.The 45-year-old competed in the Olympic distance triathlon in the category for athletes aged between 45 and 49....

Dispenser struck off over practice theft.
October 13, 2006... An optician who sold items from the Enfield practice he managed on the auction website eBay was struck off this week by the General Optical Council at a fitness to practise hearing in London.Darren Reece Bedford has also received a police...

All eyes on wavefront.
October 13, 2006... Industry body EFCLIN is to seek funding from the European Union to investigate the application of wavefront technology to optical correction.At its annual general meeting in Venice last weekend, the European Federation of the Contact Lens...

Essilor makes merry.
October 13, 2006... The conference was opened with an interesting presentation on the quality of sunglasses by Dr Colin Fowler. A long-standing item on the list of 'must have' fashion accessories, sunglasses, he noted, also had an important role in protecting eyes...

Dates set for GOC hearings.
October 13, 2006... The General Optical Council has announced two hearings to be held next month.Optometrist Robert Frith, who runs a chain of practices in the South West, will face allegations that he did not perform a visual test on a patient and did not record...

News.
October 13, 2006... - On your page 13, October 6, Emma White appears have missed the fact that following Professor SV Thompson's 'optical' classes of 1886, the precursor of City University followed in 1898 with Laurance and Drysdale. By 1903, Chalmers was head of...

Counter Fraud Service raises awareness.
October 13, 2006... Fraud Awareness Month (FAM) will take place from November 9 to December 9 to coincide with the United Nations worldwide anti-corruption day and the European Fraud and Corruption Awareness campaign.FAM was organised by the NHS Counter Fraud...

Women optometrists now outnumber men.
October 13, 2006... More than half of registered optometrists in the UK are now female, the General Optical Council's yearly registration review has found.Numbers of women choosing a career in optometry have increased every year since the introduction of statutory...

News.
October 13, 2006... Practitioners attending Haag-Streit's glaucoma seminar last week in Manchester discussed the optometrist's role as investors in technology in an open forum debate organised by Soo and Frederick McShaw from Sidmouth, Devon. In the afternoon,...

LOC support unit proposed.(local optometric committees, Association of Optometrists )(Brief article)
October 13, 2006... Money from NHS eye tests could go towards funding a support unit for local optometric committees under plans unveiled by ABDO, the AOP and FODO.Speaking at the National Optometric Conference, Association of Optometrists chief executive Bob...

Lenstec and celebrates NVQ results.(Stroud College for optical technicians )(Brief article)
October 13, 2006... ? Lenstec laboratories recently held a ceremony at Stroud College for optical technicians passing level 2 NVQs. Lenstec has a high success rate, with 16 candidates passing NVQs and eight staff obtaining first-line management certificates.Stroud...

AMD: Avastin or Lucentis?
October 13, 2006... In 2005 a quiet revolution occurred in ophthalmology. For the first time in the history of ophthalmology we now have treatments (intravitreal ranibizumab/Lucentis intravitreal or systemic bevaci-zumab/Avastin) which stabilise or improve vision...

Features.
October 13, 2006... New treatments for age related macular degeneration. As the controversy about the access to exciting new treatments for choroidal neovascularisation AMD wells up, ophthalmologist Michael Lavin recounts his recent experiences with Lucentis and...

McGarry to run Dublin marathon for local charities.
October 13, 2006... ? Optometrist Lorcan McGarry of Argus Opticians in Donegal Town, County Donegal, Ireland, is taking part in the Dublin marathon at the end of the month. The optometrist aims to raise ?2,000 for a local primary school special needs unit and the...

Modo in vogue for the autumn.
October 13, 2006... ? Modo's autumn 2006 handmade collection comprises 14 frames, seven in acetate and seven in titanium, and metal temple tip details featuring a subtly engraved logo. Titanium frames also feature beta-titanium temples while the acetates have a...

News.(optician's work life)
October 13, 2006... Back to realityI have decided I must be getting old. Over the years I have listened to my older colleagues who, when faced with change, have commented that they have only got a few years to go before they retire and they are glad they are...

Changes and opportunities.
October 13, 2006... The optometric profession has a chance to move forward and play a far greater role in patient care, delegates at the National Optometric Conference in Birmingham were told last week. Changes within NHS primary care, while disruptive, were...

Ophthalmoscopy on the move.
October 13, 2006... I still use the same direct ophthalmoscope that I acquired during the second year of my optometry course at Aston in the late 1980s. The range of lenses and stops makes it useful for general screening and the focusing is now something I can do...

ProDesign offers feminine line in stainless steel.
October 13, 2006... ? ProDesign 's feminine line is designed by women for women. 'Women are attracted to different shapes, colours and structures than men, which is why the frames in this collection differ from the three existing lines,' said ProDesign. 'Aesthetic...

Can you Digg it?
October 13, 2006... Blog, Wiki, Folksonomy, Social networking, Web 2.0, Del.icio.us, Flickr, RSS, Digg, Vodcast and VoIP. If you've heard of three or more of these high-tech web-speak terms, you're doing well.The news this week that Google is buying YouTube.com...

Progress report on direct supply.
October 13, 2006... - On April 21 2006, Optician kindly published an article and editorial on the decision by daysoft to introduce a direct-to-wearer contact lens service while supporting its existing customers (exclusively UK independents) with a rebate credit....

Silmo show poised.
October 13, 2006... Exhibitors and practitioners are gearing up for this year's Silmo, Europe's second biggest optical event, taking place from October 27-30.The four-day event will again be held at the Porte de Versailles in Paris and is expected to attract over...

News.
October 13, 2006... Military manoeuvresSiltint's coatings may be designed to combat glare, but in combination with the company's diamond-cut aspheric lenses, they can now be found in night-vision goggles for the militarySiltint has been coating ophthalmic lenses...

Slit-lamp practical guide.
October 13, 2006... Generally, it is appropriate to examine areas either side of the corneal midline with the illumination system on the same side as that which is being examined. So for temporal cornea the illumination system should be positioned on the temporal...

Eyelid cleanser treats dry eye.
October 13, 2006... ? Theratears SteriLid eyelid cleanser has been formulated to treat blepharitis, meibomian gland dysfunction and dry eye. The antibacterial lid foam has been shown to kill both the gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria most commonly...

Supply without safety checks.(contact lens supplies )(Brief article)
October 13, 2006... - Earlier this year I carried out a small test of my own, regarding contact lens supplies over the internet.I chose to order some disposable lenses from Coastal Contacts, not with the intentions of purchase but just to see if their checking...

WHO highlights global cost of refractive error.(World Health Organization)(Brief article)
October 13, 2006... Uncorrected refractive errors are the leading cause of visual impairment worldwide, according to new statistics released this week by the World Health Organization. More than 153 million people cannot see properly simply because of a lack...

Features.
October 13, 2006... October14-15 Association of Independent Optometry, Harrogate, Annual Clinical Conference, (reesse46@yahoo.co.uk)15-16 Moorfields Eye Hospital, Advanced Contact Lenses A, (courses@moorfields.org.uk)16****Lancashire Optical Society, Salmesbury,...

Features.
October 13, 2006... Dr Colin Fowler (Aston University) kick started the conference bright and early. He gave an interesting presentation on the quality of sunglasses, noting that sunglasses are not only worn as a protection from glare and solar radiation but also...

Ice-cool eyewear heads for Paris.
October 13, 2006... ? Immagine Eyewear will be presenting its frames and sunglasses from the X-Ice line at Silmo in Paris this month.The company said its designs were aimed at a young market and were based on careful research of fashion trends, including material...

US professor claims refractive surgery is safer than CL wear.
October 13, 2006... Refractive surgery is safer than wearing contact lenses, according to a US professor of ophthalmology writing in the October edition of the Archives of Ophthalmology.In a letter, Professor William Mathers from Oregon Health & Science...

News.
October 13, 2006... last chance to enterThere is only one week to go in our Keeler Optician fundus photography competition. The winner will receive a high specification digital camera so there is plenty of incentive to still send in those entries. Either attach an...

News.
October 13, 2006... Safilo expandsInternational eyewear company Safilo has strengthened its presence in Asia by opening a subsidiary. Supplying its exclusive eyewear collections as well as frames tailored to the Korean market, Safilo expects to achieve sales of...

Snake eyes from Robert Marc.
October 13, 2006... ? Robert Marc has been inspired by patterns found in nature for this season's collection. Texture, dimension and style are created with a snake print lining, said the company. Women's shapes include square (model 565), glamour oval (model...

Hinge theatre.
October 20, 2006... Face ? FaceIt was not just the new colour combinations that drew attention to the 20 new Face ? Face frames when they were launched at Mido earlier this year. Their new acetate and metal frames incorporated some truly unique hinge solutions....

News.(Brief article)
October 20, 2006... Tag HeuerWith no less than 60 patents protecting the final product, the Tag Heuer Sport Vision collection features a design which seamlessly integrates the temples with the frames. This has been achieved with the creation of an 'invisible'...

Congenital stationary night blindness.
October 20, 2006... DESCRIPTIONCongenital stationary night blindness is a broad term that covers several different conditions:? Normal fundus appearance. This form of congenital stationary night blindness may be inherited as an autosomal dominant, autosomal...

Andrew Actman launches website.
October 20, 2006... ? Andrew Actman has launched a new website this month featuring complete, 'real time', printable catalogues for all ranges totalling 800 frames. www.actmaneyewear.com is quick and easy to use and provides up-to-date information about all ranges...

Trainee targets.
October 20, 2006... The BCLA is expanding its course programme to target trainee contact lens opticians and receptionists as well as qualified staff.A one-day revision course for trainee contact lens opticians, which runs at the Institute of Optometry in London on...

Belstaff waxes fashionable.
October 20, 2006... Belstaff, whose frames and sunglasses are now available to the UK market, is experiencing rapid growth worldwide as befits a brand with a logo of a rising phoenix.Belstaff has a rich history, having been set up in Stoke-on-Trent in 1924 and was...

Hugo Boss launches in london.
October 20, 2006... Safilo UK launched the new Hugo Boss eyewear collection at the giant Hugo Boss store on London's Sloane Square last week. Frames and sunglasses from the new collection were on display in the 10,000sq ft store that carries all things Hugo Boss...

News.(General Optical Council)
October 20, 2006... With just 11 weeks to go, more than half of registered dispensing opticians have yet to earn enough CET points to meet the General Optical Council's requirements.Figures published this week by the GOC revealed that just 45 per cent of DOs...

Sweet Carolina.(Carolina Herrera 212 from Dunelm)
October 20, 2006... With bold colours and distinctive detailing, the new Carolina Herrera 212 frames are likely to make quite an impact when they make their appearance in UK practices this month. The range, along with the core Carolina Herrera range, was launched...

News.
October 20, 2006... CIBA campaignCIBA Vision is spending some ?750,000 on a new multimedia advertising campaign for Focus Dailies with AquaComfort in central London and its commuter base from late October to December. The campaign takes in cinema, radio and tube...

Deadline approaches for College election.
October 20, 2006... Members of the College of Optometrists have until Monday October 23 at 5pm to submit nominations for representatives on the professional body's council.There are 14 vacancies across nine regions in the UK, including three positions for London,...

Let the judging begin.
October 20, 2006... Optician calls to an end the period for submission of entries to our Keeler fundus photography competition. As can be seen from the array of images on this page competition is keen this year. All entries are now being sent to our judges and we...

Surgery for Mr and Mrs Eyes.(Brief article)
October 20, 2006... Staff at the Ultralase clinic in Essex thought they were the victims of a wind-up earlier this month, reported The Metro, when a Mr and Mrs Eyes booked in for matching laser treatments. The unusual surname belonged to army warrant officer David...

Uncovering City's foundations.(Letter to the editor)
October 20, 2006... - On your page 13, October 6, Emma White appears have missed the fact that following Professor SV Thompson's 'optical' classes of 1886, the precursor of City University followed in 1898 with Laurance and Drysdale. By 1903, Chalmers was head of...

Features.
October 20, 2006... I write this month about power women as it is something very much on my mind at the moment. Last month I interviewed a new CEO or rather she interviewed me and part of her decision to join the company was, in no small way, due to the fact...

News.
October 20, 2006... Working on the busiest high street in Europe is a huge buzz. Oxford Street is at the heart of London's shopping centre, surrounded by the finest selection of top brands. Vision Express's flagship store is right in the middle of the hustle and...

Gateway to China.(Hong Kong Optical Fair)
October 20, 2006... Far Eastern imports have come to dominate some segments of the market in the optical arena. At European optical fairs a strong Asian presence can be seen but often Asian suppliers present their wares in a modest fashion.The Hong Kong Optical...

The intraocular lens Advances in technology.
October 20, 2006... In the centenary year of Sir Harold Ridley's birth, referral for cataract extraction and subsequent intraocular lens (IOL) implantation is commonplace for optometrists and ophthalmologists alike. Indeed, the last 50 years have seen the...

Ireland's practitioners win ?50m VAT refund.
October 20, 2006... Optical practitioners in Ireland are celebrating an estimated ?50m VAT windfall after the Office of the Revenue Commissioners accepted that the sale of spectacles and contact lenses constitutes two supplies - a taxable supply of goods and a...

Is there iron in your soul?
October 20, 2006... Transitions Optical and Oakley have started a search for ironmen and women working within optics. Their quest is to build a team, made up entirely of optical personnel from around Europe, to participate in the Monaco Ironman 70.3 triathalon...

Surgery for Mr and Mrs Eyes.
October 20, 2006... Staff at the Ultralase clinic in Essex thought they were the victims of a wind-up earlier this month, reports The Metro, when a Mr and Mrs Eyes booked in for matching laser treatments. The unusual surname belonged to army warrant officer David...

Internet supply is part of the future.(Letter to the editor)
October 20, 2006... - Your article ('Varley outraged by Murray Wells' claims', October 6) misrepresented my comments in relation to the General Optical Council.In no way did I suggest the GOC election process was flawed. I also respect the purpose of the GOC to...

National Eyecare Group celebrates seminar success.
October 20, 2006... ? The National Eyecare Group is celebrating the success of its autumn seminars which attracted over 100 practitioners. Held in three venues across the UK last month, each meeting offered CET from CooperVision, reviewing silicone hydrogels, and...

News.
October 20, 2006... French frame maker Parasite has been forced to change the name of its Ego collection, due to legal reasons. A spokesman said it decided to 'joke with it' and call it Noego. The full collection can be seen at www.noego.fr and at Silmo

Staff offered shares in new IT company.(Ocuco-Relcon)(Ocuco Group)(Brief article)
October 20, 2006... Ocuco-Relcon has made more of its shares available to employees as part of the merger between the two optical software firms.Al Chetwode, Ocuco-Relcon chief executive, said both businesses were privately owned by the management and employees...

Scots call for eye care awareness campaign.
October 20, 2006... Optometry Scotland is meeting with the Scottish Executive next week with the aim of securing an awareness campaign for the free eye examinations for all launched this April.Chairman of Optometry Scotland, optometrist Frank Munro said that a...

Optrafair offers IT solutions.
October 20, 2006... Next April's Optrafair 2007 promises visitors the opportunity to examine the most significant practice management software from all the largest IT firms.Ocuco-Relcon, DRS, Integrity Software, Optinet, Optisoft, See 20/20 and Timebox Solutions...

Pollini on show at Silmo.
October 20, 2006... ? Pollini is presenting its latest men's and women's sunglass and frame collections at this year's Silmo exhibition in Paris (October 27-30).The collection, which made its debut at Italy's Mido trade fair in May 2006, comprises 16 sunglasses...

The PowerRefractor as a toolin pre-school vision screening.
October 20, 2006... Amblyopia is the medical term describing poor visual acuity in one or both eyes, which does not improve with correction of refractive error or removal of any pathological barrier to vision. The condition is thought to be the leading cause of...

New master installed.(Worshipful Company of Spectacle Makers)(John Morrison)(Brief article)
October 20, 2006... John Morrison, retired archdeacon of Oxford and residentiary canon of Christ Church, has been installed as master of The Worshipful Company of Spectacle Makers in a ceremony at the October Court meeting in London's Apothecaries' Hall. Morrison...

News.
October 20, 2006... CIBA campaignCIBA Vision is spending some ?750,000 on a new multimedia advertising campaign for Focus Dailies with AquaComfort in the central London and its commuter base from October to December. The campaign takes in cinema, radio and tube...

Black & Lizars donates ?40k to charity.
October 20, 2006... ? Scotland-based independent group Black & Lizars has donated ?40,000 to four charities as part of its 175th anniversary celebrations.The four chosen charities, ChildLine Scotland, Cancer Research UK, Fight for Sight and Targu Mures Trust,...

Blue bananas and red lettuce.(Justus-Liebig-University Giessen)(Brief article)
October 20, 2006... The way we perceive colour depends not only on an object's pigmentation but also on our preconception of what the object is supposed to look like, according to researchers in Germany.Karl Gegenfurtner and colleagues at the...

The numbers game.
October 20, 2006... The profession is in danger of sleep walking into a registration crisis if the latest participation figures for continuing education and training tell the full story.This week the General Optical Council's website shows that while seven out of...

Checking visual perception.
October 20, 2006... I became keenly aware of the significance of neurological disorders on vision just after qualifying, when I had to refract a patient in the latter stages of Alzheimer's disease. Assessment of vision was affected by her interpreting images...

dark Dinner marks sight day.
October 20, 2006... Vision 20/20 marked World Sight Day (October 12) with 11 visual impairment charities hosting a lunch served in total darkness. Guests were invited to restaurant Dans le Noir in London where blind waiters served a mystery menu to demonstrate...

News.
October 20, 2006... October22****Replay Learning, Birmingham, 10th Annual Clinical Conference (info@replaylearning.co.uk)22****Replay Learning, Birmingham, Optical assistants training (as above)23****Northern Optometric Society, Manchester, Cataract update (Robert...

Windscreen no barrier to latest photochromic.(Transitions and Younger Optics)(Brief article)
October 20, 2006... Next weekend's Silmo show will see the world's first polarised photochromic lens that works behind a car windscreen unveiled by Transitions and Younger Optics.Drivewear has been designed to meet the visual demands of driving and uses...

Shimmering acetate flatters the features.(Karen Millen eyewear)(Brief article)
October 20, 2006... ? Karen Millen eyewear has added four new frames for the autumn/winter season.Feature-flattering and perfectly proportioned eye shapes radiate shimmering, irresistable elegance in an innovative new acetate material, said Andrew Actman. 'Plastic...

Minima is rolling out its coloured sleeves.(Brief article)
October 20, 2006... ? Minima has launched a range of coloured sleeves for its Minima-Zero collection in response to customer demand.The sleeves are made from a thermo retractable-based material from the polyolefine family, which shrinks on heating and covers the...

News.
October 20, 2006... Public consultation on independentprescribing rights ends next weekJust one week remains to take part in the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Authority and the Department of Health's public consultation on proposals to introduce...

Staff offered shares in new IT company.(Ocuco-Relcon)(Ocuco Group)(Brief article)
October 20, 2006... Ocuco-Relcon has made more of its shares available to employees as part of the merger between the two optical software firms.Al Chetwode, Ocuco-Relcon chief executive, said both business were privately owned by the management and employees and...

surreal celebration.(Fight for Sight)(British Eye Research Foundation)(Brief article)
October 20, 2006... Fight for Sight celebrated its merger with the British Eye Research Foundation last week with a reception in the Dali Universe at London's County Hall, followed by a trip on the London Eye. Dr Ananth Viswanathan, Professor Peng Khaw and...