Blog

September 1, 2016April 24, 2018

New Blink Reflex Discovered

A previously unknown type of eye movement was discovered by researchers at the University of Tübingen, in Germany, during an experiment where volunteers’ eye movements were followed using an infrared video eye tracking system.

The researchers were attempting to determine if a known reflexive movement known as torsional optokinetic nystagmus (tOKN) occurs at the same time as blinking. tOKN occasionally resets the torsional movement of the eyes, to avoid moving beyond the mechanical limits of the eye muscles. To this end, the eye tracking system monitored the subjects’ eye position as they followed a rotating pattern of dots.

What they found, though, was that this tOKN movement was imperfect, and did not completely reset the muscles as they continued to twist. At their mechanical limit, the eyes “untwisted” all at once, resetting the torsion. Since this happened at the same time as a blink, this discorvery was named BARM, or blink-associated resetting movement.

“To discover such a ubiquitous phenomenon in such a well-studied part of the human body was astonishing to us and we’re very grateful to the volunteers who took part in the study,” said lead author Mohammad Khazali.

Paper available online at: https://elifesciences.org/content/5/e16290

September 1, 2016May 19, 2026

HOYA Launches “What’s Your iD?” Marketing Campaign

Mississauga, ON – HOYA Vision Care Canada’s “What’s your iD?” is a unique Marketing campaign that is being launched for the first time in the optical industry. When a dispensing team orders one of the eligible products from HOYA’s iD family of lenses or lens coatings, the job will be delivered with a scratch card offering the practice a 1 in 5 chance of earning potential gifts that can reward the patient, or the dispensing staff who work hard to deliver the best vision for all their patients.

“We are extremely excited about our brand new marketing campaign” said Ahmos Henry, President HOYA Vision Care Canada,“This campaign promotes the innovative technology of HOYA’s iD family of lenses and our superior coatings. This campaign will provide our valued Independent Eye Care Professional’s a great strategy to further the success of their practice and create a fun way to reward their patient and/or dispensing team.”

HOYA Vision Care Canada, the Ally of the Independent, continues to be the fastest growing company in the optical industry. With a solid partnership with independent eye care professionals, a line-up of the best in class lenses and coatings and marketing programs that aim at mutual success for the practice and HOYA.

To read full press release, click HERE.

August 30, 2016May 20, 2026

Vinyl Factory’s THE VOICE Shines Bright Like a Superstar

There are the stars, and the superstars… THE VOICE belongs in the second category, both for its striking design and for its technical features and attention to detail that characterize it. Superlatives on demand.

Distributed by Optiman Group: www.optimaninc.com

August 26, 2016May 20, 2026

POLAROID – Making Design Affordable

Polaroid Eyewear launches its revolutionary new optical frames collection, putting the brand once again at the cutting edge of style. Affordable design is the buzz word for the collection’s unprecedented concept: design-led eyewear for everyone at unbeatable value for the price.

Rounded, square, rectangular and the more feminine cat-eye shapes are the basis for five different conceptual approaches. The rounded silhouette, in particular, most clearly emphasizes the various designs, in line with Polaroid’s mission: to bring beauty to everyone’s face, whilst allowing for our differing tastes, styles and features.

PLD D 100: For lovers of more architecture-led designs, Polaroid reinterprets the classic rimless style in a colorful, smart version. The lower front profile is visible, whilst the upper one is defined by a slim metal line which conveys lightness and personality to the new glasses. From classic square shapes to 1950s-inspired retro designs, this model is available in bold colors: matte black, red, green, bright blue and blue.

PLD D 200: This softly rounded and ultra-lightweight metal optical frame features a modern design for a fresh, contemporary look and is available in up-to-the-minute shades of matte black, orange, red, blue and purple.

PLD D 300: A more classic style completes this timeless panthos optical frame which is offered in black, red, matte black, Havana brown, Havana grey and Havana blue.

PLD D 400: This contemporary shape, with a double bridge, features a playful mix of injection-molded materials and steel, for an ultra-lightweight feel and a modern look. This optical frame comes in matte black/matte ruthenium, Havana/dark ruthenium, blue/ruthenium, red/ruthenium, grey/light gold and green Havana/ruthenium.

PLD D 500: Lightweight metal is combined with slim profiles, for an ultra-comfortable, practical design. The rounded shape is presented in red, blue, semi-matte black, palladium/grey and grey/gold.

Distributed by Safilo Group: www.safilo.com

August 25, 2016April 24, 2018

What is the Link Between Sleep Apnea and Glaucoma?

New research from Hokkaido University in Japan measured the increase in eye pressure of apnea patients during sleep and found a surprising correlation with glaucoma.

People with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) are more likely to suffer from strokes and cardiovascular disease. They are also ten times more likely to suffer from glaucoma.

Published in Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science, the researchers developed a method of continuously measuring intraocular pressure (IOP) during the night, without waking the patient, using a contact lens sensor. Using this sensor they were able to monitor the effects of apnea-hypopnea events (pauses in breathing or overly shallow breathing) on IOP values.

The sleep study was conducted on seven males with sleep apnea (mean age 52) and no history of eye disease. Patients diagnosed with glaucoma were specifically excluded from this study. These patients experienced between 20-80 apnea-hypopnea events per hour (events which last for at least 10 seconds, long enough to affect blood oxygenation). An apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) over 30 is classified as severe sleep apnea.

The overnight contact lens monitoring found that IOP levels “significantly declined in immediate response to apnea events, suggesting an elusive link between OSAS and glaucoma in terms of how OSAS contributes to the pathogenesis of glaucoma as a proposed risk factor.”

This research reinforces that there is a strong correlation between pressure within the chest cavity and intraocular pressure, though they caution that studies with larger sample sizes are needed to determine the mechanism of OSAS-related glaucoma.

Full text of paper: http://iovs.arvojournals.org/article.aspx?articleid=2525820