Blog

October 14, 2016April 24, 2018

Carl Zeiss Meditec Appoints Steven C. Schallhorn as Chief Medical Officer

JENA, Germany/DUBLIN, California, USA

Carl Zeiss Meditec announces the appointment of Steven C. Schallhorn, MD as Chief Medical Officer for Global Ophthalmic Devices consisting of Refractive Lasers, Surgical Ophthalmology and Ophthalmic Diagnostics. As the leading medical advisor for the organization, Dr. Schallhorn will serve on the Executive Leadership Team providing strategic direction for the business and medical guidance on the clinical use of ZEISS’ broad portfolio of ophthalmic diagnostic and surgical technologies. Dr. Schallhorn will collaborate with Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs) and academic institutions on research initiatives and the development of best practices for improving clinical outcomes, practice efficiency and cost effectiveness.

Dr. Schallhorn has led many clinical studies focused on the safety and effectiveness of eye surgery as well as the quality of vision. He has presented to the US FDA numerous times and was instrumental in the approval of many ophthalmic devices and the NASA approval of LASIK.

Steven C. Schallhorn, MD is board certified, licensed ophthalmologist in private practice in San Diego, California, a Clinical Professor of Ophthalmology at the University of California, San Francisco and the Chief Medical Director for Optical Express.

After graduating from Colorado State University, Captain Schallhorn served in US Navy as an F-14 aviator and a Navy Fighter Weapons School instructor (TOPGUN). He completed his medical degree at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, ophthalmology residency at the Naval Medical Center San Diego, and cornea fellowship at the Doheny Eye Institute, University of Southern California. He founded the Department of Defense refractive surgery program and directed the Naval Medical Center San Diego.

Dr. Schallhorn has served on the Executive Committee for the American Academy of Ophthalmology International Society of Refractive Surgeons, Chairman of the AAO ISRS Program Committee, Chairman of the AAO Refractive Ophthalmic Technology Assessment Committee and Editor for the AAO ONE Program. Dr. Schallhorn has been a visiting professor of medicine at Harvard, USC, UCSF and Baylor. Dr. Schallhorn has received the ASCRS Binkhorst award, the AAO Lans award and will be awarded the ISRS 2016 Casebeer Award for outstanding contributions to refractive surgery.

October 14, 2016April 24, 2018

SILMO 2016, Celebrating Technologies and Trends

Characterised by a very positive business climate, the latest SILMO exhibition welcomed 33,771 visitors including 56.5% from abroad and 43.5% from France, demonstrating its attractiveness for everyone involved in the optics and eyewear sector. Over the four days of the fair, the aisles were crammed with bustling stands and opticians captivated by stimulating products, all enhanced by the balmy atmosphere of the continuing Indian summer.

As a platform to launch dozens of brands and collections, but also a place to explore innovations, the MONDIAL DE L’OPTIQUE (World Optical Fair) showcased technologies and future trends. This edition was particularly notable for a proliferation of innovations combining the expertise of eyewear and lens manufacturers with new technologies. The focal points of the exhibition: customisation, support for visually impaired people and point-of-sale digitalisation… Not forgetting training in the form of the SILMO ACADEMY and a warm welcome for the opticians of tomorrow.

Innovation, Creativity and Aesthetic Flair Rewarded at the Silmo d’or Awards

Organised within the context of the Silmo Exhibition, the 23rd Silmo d’Or award ceremony showcased the entire profession. From equipment makers to lens manufacturers, the prizewinners demonstrated creativity and inventive skills, deploying passion and a common goal – to advance the optics industry.

As previously reported on Infoclip.ca, click here to see all the Silmo d’or winners.

Save the date for 2017!

On October 6, 7, 8 and 9, 2017, the next edition of SILMO will celebrate its 50th anniversary, where the focus will be on renewal, by enhancing its allure to host the sector’s finest trends and innovations, along with its best brands and companies.

Click HERE for the full press release.

October 13, 2016April 24, 2018

VuePoint and Vision Institute Team up to Provide Made-in-Canada CE Service

VuePoint IDS Inc. and the Vision Institute of Canada (VIC) announce they are partnering to provide online Continuing Education to Optometrists in Canada. VuePoint’s new online CE portal is supported by the World Continuing Education Alliance in partnership with the World Council of Optometry. Canadian optometrists may register online to view and take online CE courses at:
www.VuePoint.ca/CE4CanadianODs/.

VIC, a Canadian Registered Charitable Organization, has long been recognized as a provider of high quality Continuing Education events. The new online medium provides an opportunity to meet the needs of those who are unable to attend live CE events and extends the Institute’s excellent CE to a wider cross-country audience. The proceeds from the sale of online Continuing Education will, in part, be donated to the Institute.

The initial tranche of on-line courses leverages the Aboriginal Vision Health lecture series. “This education series is still very relevant today, as Aboriginal health issues are increasingly in the spotlight and the communities’ needs remain complex and vast,” said Dr. Paul Chris, Executive Director.

Optometrists registering on the VuePoint CE education portal will be able to view the audiovisual courses, download the exam notes and courses and take the online examination to earn credits appropriate to the length of the course. The VuePoint CE portal will serve as platform for its own course delivery and for delivery of third party authors. “The online portal is a tremendous complement to our print and digital publishing platform, and will facilitate delivery of quality CE in multiple formats helping ensure the nuances and needs of the Canadian practice environment are taken into account,” indicates VuePoint president David Pietrobon. “Our research shows that Canadian eye care professionals prefer to have a Canadian context for their CE content.”

VuePoint iDS is a COPE-approved administrator, and will also be providing COPE approved courses through the platform in the future. Additional CE channels for other eye care professionals are under development and will be deployed over the next few months.

VuePoint Continuing Education Services
Organizations and course authors interested in leveraging the VuePoint CE Platform can contact David Pietrobon, President, to explore potential partnership opportunities this platform presents.

Contact Information:
Phone: 226 780 6871 x 5111
Email: dpietrobon@vuepoint.ca

October 13, 2016April 24, 2018

Eyes Could Be Reservoir for Zika Virus

A new study from the Washington University School of Medicine, published in Cell Reports, reveals that Zika virus may persist in a patient’s eyes for some time, and that tears may be a possible route of infection.

Researchers infected mice with Zika virus subdermally, and found that in seven days live virus was located in the eye. It is not yet known how the Zika virus enters the eye; whether it is able to cross the blood-retina barrier or if it travels along the optic nerve.

The body’s immune system is less active in the eye than other parts of the body, which allows some infections to persist there after the live virus has been destroyed elsewhere.

In adults Zika is a mild disease, but in some cases can lead to conjunctivitis or, rarely, uveitis and permanent vision loss. One third of babies infected in utero with Zika develop eye disease.

“We are planning studies in people to find out whether infectious virus persists in the cornea or other compartments of the eye, because that would have implications for corneal transplantation,” said Rajendra S. Apte, MD, PhD, the Paul A. Cibis Distinguished Professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, a senior author of the study.

More information: https://medicine.wustl.edu/news/evidence-zika-virus-found-tears/

(Photo credit Robert Boston)

October 13, 2016April 24, 2018

World Sight Day Challenge Celebrates its 10-Year Anniversary Today

Optometry Giving Sight has launched its 10th Annual fundraising campaign to help raise funds for people who are needlessly blind or vision impaired simply because they can’t access an eye exam and vision care provided by an optometrist.

This year’s World Sight Day Challenge will focus on the need for effective, sustainable eye health initiatives for children and adolescents. The campaign will run from September 1st until October 31st and will help support vision care services being delivered around the world. World Sight Day is Thursday, October 13th.

“All of us can appreciate the importance of good vision – not just for ourselves and our families, but for the many children around the world who don’t have access to the vision care services they need,” said Dr. Juan Carlos Aragon, Global Chair of Optometry Giving Sight. “After all, if you can’t see, you can’t learn, and that condemns many to a life of poverty and disadvantage.”

For the past 10 years, thousands of Optometrists, their staff, patients, students and colleagues in industry have all taken the World Sight Day Challenge by raising funds to help eliminate the backlog of uncorrected refractive error, estimated to affect more than 600 million people.

“It’s simple and fun to do,” said Clive Miller, Global CEO of Optometry Giving Sight. “Practices, schools and companies can involve their staff, friends, family and colleagues in fundraising activities throughout September and October; or they can visit our website and make a personal, practice or company donation. “We have materials to help promote your involvement, lots of fun fundraising ideas, and information that you can share that shows how your donations are having an impact on the lives of people in need.”

Funds raised will help support Our Children’s Vision – a global campaign to bring better vision, and eye health services to 50 million children by 2020. This will be in addition to our ongoing support for Optometry Development programs which train local people as Optometrists.

To donate, or pledge your participation by selecting one of our Bronze, Silver, Gold or Platinum Award levels, please visit www.givingsight.org or call 888 OGS GIVE.