Review of Optometry articles from February 2000

Review of Optometry archives from February 2000

William M. Mercer Inc.
February 15, 2000... Expect more patients to present membership cards for vision plans this year. A national survey by William M. Mercer Inc. found that 46% of employers added vision plans in 1999, up from 42% a year earlier. This could be a double-edge sword for...

Dennis Chapman.
February 15, 2000... Dennis Chapman, who discovered phosphorylcholine's biocompatible abilities and founded Biocompatibles Eyecare, has died. The technology he developed is also used in cardiovascular surgery.

Cole National.
February 15, 2000... Cole National has appointed Larry Pollack as president and chief operating officer. Mr. Pollock had been president and COO of HomePlace Stores, a home-furnishings chain.

FDA Panel Gives Conditional Endorsement to Holmium LTK.
February 15, 2000... Reversing its earlier rejection of Sunrise Technologies' Hyperion laser thermal keratoplasty (LTK) system, the FDA's Ophthalmic Devices Panel has recommended approval of the company's pre-market application, with conditions. The approved...

Camera Implant Gives Blind Man Limited Vision.
February 15, 2000... Using a camera wired directly to his brain, a 62-year-old man who previously had no light perception can now see well enough to navigate a room, perform simple visual tasks and see 2-inch-tall print from 5 feet away (about 20/400). "Jerry"...

Specialty Adds New Contact Lens Plant.
February 15, 2000... Specialty UltraVision will spend up to $20.65 million to build a new manufacturing facility near Montreal to meet growing global demand for its contact lens products. This plant will produce the UltraCon toric contact lens, among other...

B&L and Alcon Settle Lens Cleaner Lawsuit.
February 15, 2000... Bausch & Lomb and Alcon Laboratories have settled a 6-year-old lawsuit on a patented contact lens cleaning system. Bausch & Lomb had filed suit in October 1994 alleging Alcon's OptiFree enzymatic cleaner and its SupraClens daily protein...

New Glaucoma Technology Promises Instantaneous Monitoring.
February 15, 2000... Technology that may enable almost instantaneous assessment of intraocular pressure and aqueous flow has taken a step forward with Alcon's acquisition of the Abreu tonometry system. Creator M. Marc Abreu, M.D., says the tonometry system that...

You Can't Always Debt What You Want.
February 15, 2000... Optometry students are graduating with more debt than ever before. In just the past four years, the average student's optometry school debt increased by the following amounts at these institutions: * Southern College of Optometry, up 9.5%....

Fund CVS Study Now.
February 15, 2000... Two years ago the House Appropriations Committee voted to recommend spending $5 million for a study into the physiological effects of computer-related eye problems. What do we have to show for it today? Nothing. That's how much the...

Stepwise Therapy.
February 15, 2000... I have told you about my dancing, have I not? I do so love it. My feet want to tap and my moneymaker wants to shake. At least that's what my wife thought when we were dating. I was a senior in optometry school and home for my externship...

LETTERS & E-MAIL.
February 15, 2000... Our Optics Exam Kept One Doctor Humble Editor: I recently received my latest issue of my favorite optometric monthly, and after reading Dr. Montgomery Vickers' "Chairside" (of course), I decided to accept the challenge of your optics exam...

You've Had the Y2K Fever, Now Here's the Cure.
February 15, 2000... Second of Two Parts Y2K fever has dissipated somewhat in my practice. Our computers and instruments still work. Patients have stopped asking for a 20-year supply of disposable contact lenses. However, many of us still have one burning...

A Fast Lane to the Web.
February 15, 2000... Are you ready to bring your office into the new millennium by setting up your own web site? You probably don't want to even think about learning HTML (hypertext markup language) or using a web page-building tool like Microsoft FrontPage. I've...

How to Navigate The Rigmarole of Hiring.
February 15, 2000... It always seemed to me that managing your practice is one of those things you should know instinctively. An essential component of that knowledge is staff management. Of course, if this were something we did know innately, there wouldn't be a...

Check'em off 12 Quality Control Steps for Your PAL Rxes.
February 15, 2000... This checklist will improve your success with PAL prescriptions and please more presbyopes in your practice. Now that baby boomers are becoming presbyopes, success with progressive lenses is more important than ever for your practice. Lens...

Bringin' in the Bucks, But not Takin' Home the Bacon.
February 15, 2000... After the senior doctor left, this $1 million-plus practice floundered. Here's what they did to make the practice sizzle again. Bringin' in the Bucks, But Not Alan Cleinman Laurie Zimniewicz Editor's Note: Mr. Cleinman and Ms....

Fighting the Red Menace.
February 15, 2000... Red eyes indicate inflammation, but also suggest a multitude of diagnoses. Here are four strategies to help you differentiate one red eye from another. Second in a Series To paraphrase Tolstoy, all happy eyes resemble one another, but...

Tomorrow's Contact Lens Practice Can You Adapt?
February 15, 2000... The next 10 years are fraught with risks and rewards: e-commerce, refractive surgery, extended wear, daily disposables, more presbyopes and more doctors. Here's what your contact lens practice is in for. Survival of the fittest. In trying...

What's Your Practice Worth? Here's How to Find Out.
February 15, 2000... Thinking about buying or selling an optometric practice? Starting to think about retirement somewhere in the distant future? If so, you might want to think seriously about a professional appraisal. As an optometric business appraiser, I've...

Marco Technologies Introduces You to Spectrum Lensography.
February 15, 2000... Find out how the first truly automatic lens analysis system will eliminate your lensometery challenges. If you were to take a good, hard look at all of the equipment in your practice, perhaps the one instrument that's destined for...

The Once and Future Treatment of Dry Eye.
February 15, 2000... You have a broad range of therapies to alleviate the symptoms of dry eye. Researchers and drug manufacturers hope to expand your therapeutic arsenal. Up to 10 million Americans suffer the daily misery of chronic dry eye syndrome....

Optic Nerve Head Elevation: Separating the Good From the Bad.
February 15, 2000... Patients who present with raised optic discs are at risk of serious disease. While the presentation may well be benign, these patients require a meticulous clinical exam and in some cases a neurological work-up to rule out more-troublesome...

An Atypical Case of Night Blindness.
February 15, 2000... Congenital stationary night blindness with buried disc drusen have been reported together only once before. This is the first known case in a myope. A 33-year-old black male with a previous diagnosis of congenital stationary night...

Should I Send Out That PVD?
February 15, 2000... Q What's the standard of care for examination when a patient presents with a posterior vitreous detachment (PVD)? A The standard of care for a PVD suspect is a dilated fundus exam with BIO and scleral depression, says Kevin L. Alexander,...

LASIK: Is It a Matter Of This Patient's Heart?
February 15, 2000... Q My patient has significant mitral valve prolapse (MVP) and must take antibiotics before she has any dental work. Should she take antibiotics before she undergoes LASIK? A Our experts say MVP patients don't need antibiotics prior to LASIK...

The Optical Aberrations of LASIK.
February 15, 2000... LASIK has resulted in growing legions of happy patients. Yet some individuals experience optical aberrations following the procedure. There are five such aberrations: blur, fog, flare, soft focus and monocular diplopia. Many factors may...

Corneal Topography.
February 15, 2000... LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT Dear Eyecare Professional: It is with great pride that we at Dicon present "Corneal Topography Redefined." One cannot help but reflect on the many changes in the way eye care has been delivered over the last...

Corneal Topography Soon to be Standard of Care.
February 15, 2000... The corneal topographer will soon become a routine corneal health screening tool. When corneal topographers were first introduced about 10 years ago, their only application was for corneal surgery. There were problems with both accuracy...

CONTACT LENS OVERWEAR.
February 15, 2000... PATIENT CASE HISTORY A 17-year-old white female presented for a second opinion with a history of unexplained mild visual loss for six to eight weeks. She's been wearing soft toric contact lenses for myopic astigmatism for the past three...

KERATOCONUS.
February 15, 2000... PATIENT CASE HISTORY A 49-year-old female who'd undergone successful penetrating keratoplasty eight months ago presented. OD manifest refraction -3.75 -0.50 x 075 20/20 (slow, difficult responses). All-day wearing time OD with 7.50-mm base...

CORNEAL WARPAGE.
February 15, 2000... PATIENT CASE HISTORY A 32-year-old male who'd been wearing spherical RGP lenses for five years presented with increasingly blurred vision for the past six months. He was previously fit with RGPs to best correct his corneal astigmatism. ...

Clinical Benefits of Corneal Topography.
February 15, 2000... The CT 200 is designed for ease of use with unsurpassed accuracy, reliability and reproducibility, resulting in a device capable of replacing the keratometer for use on all of your patient's eyecare needs. Dicon's innovation lets you use...

How To Make A $10,000 Corneal Topographer Pay For Itself.
February 15, 2000... HOW DO YOU PAY FOR a corneal topographer? You can either charge your patients a separate, nominal fee ($15, for example) or add the fee for topography into your general exam charge. Either way, if you perform topography on two patients per...

Axial Map.
February 15, 2000... Axial Map is preferred for describing the general corneal shape, namely whether it is spherical or astigmatic and regular or irregular. This is the most reliable map for detecting changes in the corneal topography over time. Should be used for...

Tangential Map.
February 15, 2000... Tangential Map is the most sensitive map for measuring curvature in the peripheral region of the cornea, which makes it useful for the analysis of a keratoconic cone or the transition (knee) area of a cornea that has undergone refractive...

Refractive Map.
February 15, 2000... Refractive Map truly describes the optical effect of the corneal shape. It is the only map in which a diopter of corneal power corresponds to a diopter of refractive power for a whole eye. The principal advantage of this map is that it...

Height Map.
February 15, 2000... Height Map is the only map that represents shape directly, rather than powers. It shows the linear distances between positions on the cornea and a reference sphere in microns of distance. This map is especially useful in applications related to...

Is the Flu Related To This Eve Condition?
February 15, 2000... A 21 -year-old college student complained of blurry vision in his left eye for the past week and a half. About two weeks earlier he had a flu-like illness with severe headache, vomiting, fever, chills, lymphadenopathy and malaise. This lasted...

What Should You Do About Corneal Ulcers?
February 15, 2000... A 30-year-old white female who has been wearing extended-wear soft contact lenses comes to your office with a 12-hour history of increasing pain, photophobia and redness in the right eye. Your examination reveals a paracentral corneal ulcer...

Topographer Follows You.
February 15, 2000... The Scout portable topographer from EyeQuip can go where you go. This handheld device has rechargeable batteries and built-in memory that holds up to eight images. Like its larger cousin, the Keratron, it has a built-in headrest and alignment...

Slit Lamps Go Digital.
February 15, 2000... A new adapter now allows you to connect Nikon's Coolpix 950 digital cameras with the company's NS-1V and FS-3V slit lamps. The adapter can handle digital imaging and real-time video output. You can remove the Coolpix 950 from the slit lamp to...

Topographer Links to PC.
February 15, 2000... The Keratograph corneal topographer from Oculus Inc. features digital transmission to PC units. It has 22,000 measuring points and 22 rings, a built-in keratometer, and presents information in 3-D, overview and fluorescein simulator images. ...

NCT Sheds Chinrest, etc.
February 15, 2000... The AT550 non-contact tonometer by Reichert Ophthalmic Instruments takes pressures without a chinrest, joystick or elevation controls that other devices have. This tonometer features Reichert's patented automated alignment system. Patients...

SunSensors for FastGrind.
February 15, 2000... Super Systems Optical Technologies has added Corning's new plastic photochromic lenses, SunSensors, to the menu of ophthalmic lenses you can produce on the FastGrind 2000 in-office lens-surfacing system. Super Systems says it chose SunSensors...

GlareControl Clip-Ons.
February 15, 2000... Corning's GlareControl lenses now come in 1.5mm piano uncuts. These CPF lenses, offered through Corning Connections optical labs, are 65mm in diameter and can be edged and inserted into most ophthalmic clip-ons. With these lenses you can offer...

Diamond Slat is a snap.
February 15, 2000... The Diamond Slat wall display package from Fashion Optical Displays offers a variety of eyewear merchandising ensembles. Accessories include graphics and literature holders as well as a vanety of holders for frames, lenses and sports eyewear....

13 New Ralphs for Spring.
February 15, 2000... Aimed at women ages 18-35, the new Ralph by Ralph Lauren sun-glass collection sports 13 new styles for spring. Marketed by Safilo Group, the styles include fashion wraps, double-colored laminates and smaller shapes. Among the new plastics are:...

Swoosh Goes Marchon.
February 15, 2000... Marchon Eyewear and Nike have joined forces to develop and distribute a new line of sun and ophthalmic eyewear called Nike Sport Eyewear. Nike has made sunwear for athletes since 1996. Initially, the product offering to independent dispensers...

High-tech Armani.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 15, 2000... For fashionably cutting-edge wearers, The Emporio Armani 117S frame by Luxottica Group is a laser-cut flat metal design with integrated temples. The modified rectangular-shaped frame is available in colors satin indigo, dark pewter, satin...

The Bold and the Minimal.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 15, 2000... Rodenstock introduces five new frames for spring. These five architecturally inspired shapes use acetate laminations which the company describes as "bold minimalism." The collection includes: * 5112 unisex comes in colors Havana/amber,...

The Contact Lens Council.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 15, 2000... The Contact Lens Council has overhauled its web site, and even gave it a new address: www.contactlenscouncil.org. The site is for patients and practitioners, and offers information on bifocal contacts and presbyopia, lens care, laser surgery...

The AR Council.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 15, 2000... The AR Council has posted its new web site at www.arcouncil.org. The site provides patients with information about the benefits of anti-reflective coatings, including a 2-minute video demonstration.

E-Dr. Network.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 15, 2000... E-Dr. Network now offers free e-mail to members, students, educators and retirees. Current members of E-Dr. Network may obtain up to four free e-mail accounts. The service also allows you to access e-mail through Outlook Express, Netscape and...

Volk.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 15, 2000... You can purchase diagnostic and therapeutic lenses direct from Volk at its revamped web site at www.volk.com. Besides browsing Yolk's on-line store, you can also view its new on-line newsletter, "Virtual Image," that offers tips on using Volk...

PPG Industries.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 15, 2000... Check out the optical products from PPG Industries at www.ppgopticalproducts.com. The site offers a variety of, resources, Transitions Optical's web site and a customer support center.

After 6 Months of Blurred Vision, Woman Says, 'Enough Is Enough'.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 15, 2000... A 57-year-old woman presented with a chief complaint of blurry vision at distance and near for the past 6 months. Her ocular history was unremarkable for disease, injuries or surgeries. Her systemic history was positive for diabetes (15 years)...

STRONG STEROID, SAFE STEROID, SMART STEROID.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 15, 2000... Lotemax(R) (loteprednol etabonate 0.5%) features a powerful balance -- it controls ocular inflammation with minimal IOP rise. Lotemax has the broadest range of ophthalmic steroid indications and is the fastest growing prescription ophthalmic...

KEELER'S NEW VANTAGE WITH HEMAG' LENS".(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 15, 2000... Designed to fit Keeler's top-of-the-line Vantage Indirect Ophthalmoscope, the new [HiMag.sup.TM] Lens provides 1.6 times higher magnification when used with double aspheric condensing lenses, providing greater detail for disc and vessel...

AT550 AUTO NON-CONTACT TONOMETER.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 15, 2000... The fully automated AT550 is unlike any other non-contact tonometer. It doesn't have a chin rest, joystick or elevation controls. Patients simply lean against the instrument's forehead rest and view a fixation target. To activate the IOP...

HUMPHREY(R) FDT VISUAL FIELD INSTRUMENT.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 15, 2000... The Humphrey(R) FDT Visual Field Instrument with patented Welch Allyn frequency doubling technology provides the eyecare professional with a rapid, clinically verified and affordable method for the detection of visual field loss. With minimal...

TELEMEDICINE PACKAGE AD.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 15, 2000... By combining [IMAGEnet.sup.TM] 2000 Digital Imaging Software with the new Topcon TRC-NW6 non-mydriatic retinal camera, we've created a color fundus screening package for the 21st century. This new system lets you perform highly accurate...

TOPCON CL-100 -- THE NEW MEASURE OF VALUE.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 15, 2000... Topcon's new CL-100 computerized lensmeter utilizes innovative targeting and autosensing technology to make the precise measurement of all types of lenses a simple, quick matter -- even for inexperienced staffers. It's designed to interface...

NEW FROM AKORN -- DRY EYE TEST (D.E.T.).(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 15, 2000... The first simple test for diagnosing dry eye with fast, accurate and reproducible results, D.E.T. has the unique ability to consistently instill micro-volumes of fluorescein into the eye. This eliminates tear film disruption and lets you...

TITMUS VISION SCREENERS.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 15, 2000... Titmus Optical, Inc., a leader in the optical industry, has been manufacturing vision screeners since 1959. The Titmus 2a Vision Screener is an easy-to-use, compact (using only 1.25 square feet of space) instrument with a three-year warranty....

[3-UP.sup.TM] POWER LIFT 3-STATION INSTRUMENT TABLE.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 15, 2000... The 3-[UP.sup.TM] Power Lift instrument table is one of several multiple instrument tables that 20/20 Medical Systems offers. Tables are wheelchair-accessible and can accommodate up to four instruments at a time. Proprietary designs and...

WHY DISPENSE OPTIVISION [FORTE.sup.TM] FROM SIMILASAN?(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 15, 2000... People facing threatened eyesight deserve the best nutraceutical -- regardless of cost. OptiVision [Forte.sup.TM] contains extremely potent and expensive ingredients that provide: 1) vascular support; 2) detoxification; 3) potent antioxidants;...

BD VISITEC FLUID AND FLAP MANAGEMENT.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 15, 2000... The BD Ophthalmic Co. announces the first family of products designed by leading surgeons for LASIK. The BD Visitec Fluid and Flap Management System offers a comprehensive approach for fluid absorption, lifting, irrigating and aligning the...

SANTINELLI INTERNATIONAL INTRODUCES A TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENT IN PATTERNLESS EDGING.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 15, 2000... The all-new LE-9000SX 3D-Fit Pattern-less Edger sets the standard in reliability, ease of maintenance and high performance. It introduces features such as an auto safety bevel and "simply groovy" auto grooving functions. With the touch of a...

SCOUT PORTABLE TOPOGRAPHER.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 15, 2000... Call EyeQuip to learn how you can get a free Scout, the world's first and only battery-operated corneal topographer. Rechargeable batteries let you move throughout the office, or you can mount it on your slit lamp or operation microscope. Data...

"SEE WHAT'S NEW IN GLAUCOMA".(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 15, 2000... We've made the breakthrough in scanning laser technology you've been waiting for -- the Heidelberg Retina Tomograph II (HRT II), the smallest scanning laser ever. It's light, portable and telemedicine ready, and features automatic image...

2000 EVECARE SUPPLY CENTER CATALOG.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 15, 2000... With the arrival of the new millennium, Amcon, the Eyecare Supply Center, introduces Catalog 2000, which features a complete line of: * eyeglass lens cleaners * lens-cleaning cloths * optical accessories * ophthalmic bulbs ...

PERFORM LIMBAL-RELAXING INCISIONS UNDER THE SLIT LAMP.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 15, 2000... Akorn introduces the first diamond knife designed for use under the silt lamp, saving you time and money. Designed in cooperation with John J. Dagianis, M.D., of Nashua, NH, the knife measures 2 3/4" when fully extended, letting you...

[SILIKON.sup.TM] 1000 SILICONE OIL.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 15, 2000... [Silikon.sup.TM] 1000 (purified polymethylsioxane) Silicone Oil is now available from Alcon. This product, developed by Richard-James, Inc., is used as a long-term tamponade for complex retinal detachments. Silikon 1000 features a viscosity of...

GET A FRESH LOOK WITH THE ELEGANT, NEW CURVED TOP SLAT WALL PACKAGE.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 15, 2000... Give your dispensary a fresh look with Fashion Optical Displays' new Curved Top Slat Wall Package. This easy-to-assemble display package offers an elegant new curved cap and shelf, several sturdy acrylic tubes, a 48by 60-inch slat wall and...

[SURESIGHT.sup.TM] HAND-HELD AUTOREFRACTOR.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 15, 2000... [SureSight.sup.TM] is a child-friendly, portable and affordable autorefractor. With Sure-Sight, you can perform objective refraction quickly from a non-threatening, 14-inch distance. Fast and easy to use, a total two-eye test takes only five to...

GUARANTEED, POWERFUL CORRECTION FOR THE ASTIGMATIC EYE.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 15, 2000... Solid performance and reliability are trademarks of MetroSoft Toric. Guaranteed 100% for 90 days, with full exchange privileges, this lens covers a very large parameter range. It's made from polymacon (a 38% water material) on computerized...

HUMPHREY(R) LENS ANALYZERS (MODEL 350/360).(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 15, 2000... All of the Humphrey(R) Lens Analyzers are so simple to operate that any office or laboratory staff member can become an expert with minimal training. On-screen help menus guide you through the neutralization of PALs, prism lenses, contact...

ACULAR(R) AND ACULAR(R) PF - GREAT RESULTS IN TWO SEPARATE POST-SURGICAL INDICATIONS.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 15, 2000... Acular(R) (ketorolac tromethamine ophthalmic solution) 0.5% and Acular(R) PF (ketorolac tromethamine ophthalmic solution) 0.5% preservative-free solutions are safe and effective for post-surgical use. Use Acular for the treatment of...

KEELER'S NEW SLIT LAMP RANGE (SL16 - SL33 - SL40).(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 15, 2000... The new Keeler line of slit lamps provides brilliant optical performance with multiple layer-coated optics. The SL16 Haag-Streit type illumination and magnification system (pictured) ensures crisp and clear images. The SL33 zoom Haag-Streit...

THE HEIDELBERG RETINA TOMOGRAPH AND FLOWMETER (HRT/F).(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 15, 2000... The HRT is a confocal scanning laser ophthalmoscope which analyzes the posterior pole, including the optic nerve, nerve fiber layer and retinal thickness for the follow-up of edema. New software is now available for mapping diabetic macular...

VISION TESTER WITH CONTRAST AND GLARE.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 15, 2000... The Optec(R) 3000 Vision Tester with contrast sensitivity and glare has become the standard for accurate, time-saving and convenient vision testing. The inexpensive Optec 3000 offers: * contrast sensitivity letters or sine wave * the...

TOMEY TMS 3 AUTOTOPOGRAPHER.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 15, 2000... The company that introduced topography to the world more than 15 years ago is proud to introduce the world to autotopography. The Tomey TMS 3 Autotopographer is the next dramatic step in the evolution of topography and showcases three features:...

CHARTING [PLUS.sup.TM] ELECTRONIC MEDICAL RECORDS FROM MEDINOTES CORPORATION.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 15, 2000... Charting [Plus.sup.TM] is a powerful electronic medical records package designed to simplify the charting and office tasks of busy optometrists and ophthalmologists. The program includes detailed medical content for initial and follow-up...