US Optical to Manufacturer PixelOptics Autofocus Lenses

OptoIQ reports that “US Optical signed an agreement with PixelOptics (Roanoke, VA) to manufacture emPower, PixelOptics' patented electronic [autofocus] eyeglass lenses, starting with the launch of the US Southeast region around April 4, 2011. . ..[It uses] composite lenses with a thin LCD-like transparent layer, microchips, micro-machine accelerometers, and miniature rechargeable batteries. It provides vision correction reportedly for all ranges of sight.”

KY's OD's & MD's Brawl.

“The Senate approved a bill Friday to allow optometrists to perform some surgical procedures on the eye and eyelid, brushing aside warnings from medical doctors who said optometrists are not qualified and could harm surgical patients,” according to Kentucky's Lexington Herald-Leader.

Progressives May Help Myopic Kids

“The progressive addition lenses (PALs) used in this study [published in Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science 9 Feb. 2011] were found to have a statistically but not clinically significant effect on slowing myopia progression in children with high accommodative lag and near esophoria,” according to a MDLinx post.

New Study Shows the Needs of Patients/Customers--Comfort One of the Least Important

In a recent global study to determine the hierarchy of vision-corrected patient needs, seeing better was the most important consideration for selecting eye care products. The Needs, Symptoms, Incidence, Global Eye Health Trends (NSIGHT) study surveyed 3,800 spectacle- and contact lens-corrected subjects, 15 to 65 years of age, from seven different countries (China, Korea, Japan, France, Italy, United Kingdom, United States).

The study indicates that product benefits relating to vision quality are highly important to patients worldwide. When researchers asked patients to trade off various functional needs relative to eye care products, patients said comfort was only half as important as vision quality. "NSIGHT validated that clear, crisp vision is a top priority for our patients," commented Carla Mack, O.D., F.A.A.O., director, Global Medical Affairs for Bausch + Lomb.

The eight categories of eye care product benefits, in descending order of importance to patients, were vision, health, environment, eye condition, convenience, comfort, personal performance and personal appearance. Surprisingly, comfort came in sixth out of eight possible categories.