Blog

September 16, 2015April 24, 2018

How Central Vision Loss Affects Driving

Researchers at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary have developed a test to determine if drivers who have experienced central vision loss are able to see and react to pedestrians in a timely manner.

The study, published in PLoS ONE on September 2nd, used a driving simulator with gaze tracking to mimic real driving conditions and measured reaction time in responding to pedestrians. The researchers found that drivers with central field loss (CFL) were unable to stop for 21% of pedestrians, a rate seven times higher than the control drivers with normal vision. All drivers with CFL nevertheless had sufficient vision to obtain a driver’s licence.

Drivers with vertical scotomas were less affected than those with lateral scotomas, but all experienced delayed reaction times compared to normal vision controls.

“If you are a low-vision patient, you should understand how the condition affects and perhaps limits your ability to drive safely,” says study author Dr. Bronstad. “These data should prove useful to clinicians in advising patients about whether they should continue driving, and may even become a consideration for state agencies responsible for licencing drivers.”

Further information: http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0136517

September 15, 2015May 19, 2026

New OPTIK Enhanced Digital Version is Unveiled

VuePoint is proud to release the new beta OPTIK Enhanced Digital Version using state-of-the-art HTML5 technology. OPTIK Digital provides viewers and advertisers with enhanced engagement opportunities, including embedded video, slide shows, custom links and more. Click to View.

OPTIK Digital provides the following:

Design responsive views for mobile devices, tablets, and desktop
Easy click to view all articles in English or French – your language of choice
Enriched media, including embedded video, slide shows and more
Enriched links to digital assets to engage, enlighten and educate

September 15, 2015May 19, 2026

Blanchard Partners with Lumilent to Bring Mini Scleral Design Lens to Mexico

Sherbrooke, Canada– Blanchard Contact Lenses, a leading scleral lens designer in North America, announced that Laboratorios Lumilent (Lumilent), located in Mexico City, has signed into an agreement as a manufacturer and distributor of msd Mini Scleral Design lens. The msd lens is known for its distinctive posterior lens surface incorporating reverse geometry with specially designed optical and posterior curves.

“We are proud to be the first contact lens lab in Mexico to offer scleral lenses that are manufactured locally” said Manuel Morán, Director of Operations for Lumilent. “msd lens is a perfect design to rehabilitate the lives of irregular cornea patients. The fitting process is straight forward allowing for the most optimal custom fit for the patient. The phenomenal support we have received from Blanchard to implement the technology for the manufacturing of the msd lens, as well as for training, marketing and launching of product, has reassured us that we signed on with the best possible partner for this project” added Morán.

The msd lens was first introduced in Mexico City in June at a launch with over 120 eye care professionals in attendance. Since the launch, there have been series of very successful lectures/workshops, with many more to come in the fall, as Lumilent rolls out msd lens to practitioners across Mexico.

“We are thrilled that Lumilent has decided to enter the scleral lens market by manufacturing and distributing the msd lens” says Jean Blanchard, President of Blanchard Contact Lenses. “Thinner and smaller than most other scleral lenses, msd is easy to fit and eliminates the fitting problems associated with larger diameter lenses while promoting maximum oxygen transmission to the eye and facilitating the patient manipulation of the lenses” Blanchard added.

September 14, 2015May 20, 2026

New ClipTech Models for Fall

Alternative Eyewear has added several unique models to its ClipTech collection. The K3783 features bold, geometric patterns on the inside of a classic shape, mixing the familiar with a little something new. The K3893 and K3894 use eye catching colour fades to create beautiful, unique eyewear. Each ClipTech model comes with a free metal polarized magnetic clip-on. All new models feature the back-mounted system, allowing for a more secure hold and a seamless, light-weight integration with the frame.

www.alternativeeyes.com

September 14, 2015April 24, 2018

A New Technique for Assessing Diabetic Retinopathy

Ultrawide field (UWF) retinal cameras are providing new insights into the diagnosis and treatment of diabetic retinopathy. A recent study from the Joslin Diabetes Centre shows that many lesions in the peripheral areas of the retina are missed by standard retinal photographs, which cover only about a third of the retina, and these lesions are an indicator that the patient is at high risk of progressing towards a vision-threatening stage of the disease.

“What was a big surprise is how much of a risk this added and how much of the disease was found outside of the area we’ve traditionally evaluated,” said Dr. Lloyd Paul Aiello, Professor of Ophthalmology at Harvard Medical School.

A larger trial, run by the Diabetic Retinopathy Clinical Research Network, that will monitor 350 diabetic patients with UWF imaging for four years, is currently underway.

Further information: http://www.joslin.org/news/Peripheral-lesions-in-retina-point-to-higher-risks-of-progression.html