To celebrate the holiday season, Transitions Optical Canada is announcing a new promotion, ‘December Style Contest’ which will run from Dec. 3 – Dec. 20. The contest encourages optical industry professionals to show off their winter “eye style” by posting photos of themselves pairing their favorite Transitions® lenses with their go-to December outfits. Participants will be entered for each photo they post on the Transitions Optical’s Canada PRO Facebook page. Every photo shared (up to 17 total) will be counted as one entry in the contest for a chance to win a $1000 CAD gift card.
“With the year coming to a close,
we wanted to find a fun and interactive way to get our community engaged,” said
Arnaud Rajchenbach, marketing & sales manager, Transitions Optical in
Canada. “The ‘December Style Contest’ promotion is the perfect way for our
industry friends and partners to connect with us and with each other by sharing
their unique style, engage in fun conversations, and celebrate the variety of
style options of Transitions lenses.”
The 2021 collection is a mixture of emotions, sensations, ideas and vision. JPLUS is inspired by the Beat Generation’s desire for life and freedom, combining soft lines and strong features, and a choice between bold and thin.
Each frame is embellished with the refined hallmark “J”. Vibrant red, blue and green colours now complement classic black and Havana.
Fighting Blindness Canada’s inaugural vision research
competition, ‘Eye on the Cure presented by FYidoctors’, premiered on Saturday,
November 13, 2021. In front of three judges – Dr. Al Ulsifer, CEO and Chairman
at FYidoctors, Dr. Michel Cayouette, Director, Cellular Neurobiology Research
Unit at Montreal Clinical Research Institute and Tara James, Chair, Fighting
Blindness Canada Board of Directors – early-stage vision researchers battled it
out for $100,000 in awards to support their research and advance their
innovations.
“Now more than ever, it is so important to encourage and invest in the research of tomorrow. We are so excited to have the opportunity to spotlight and support these talented young researchers as they work to develop new diagnostics and treatments for vision loss.” – Larissa Moniz PhD, Director of Research and Mission Programs
The Competitors:
Jovi Wong, MD, MSc, DPhil, Ophthalmology
resident, University of Toronto
Jovi is trying to increase access to eye screening by
developing an eye exam that can be done with your smartphone. Jovi is combining
a smartphone fundoscope and artificial intelligence that could allow health
care workers in rural, remote or underserved areas to more easily diagnose eye
disease in order to prevent unnecessary vision loss.
Stephan Ong Tone, MDCM, PhD, FRCSC, Clinician
Scientist, Assistant Professor, Sunnybrook Research Institute
Stephan is developing an innovative way to improve
corneal transplantation. Stephan will be testing if vesicles gathered from
placental cells can improve transplantation by reducing scarring and the risk
of rejection.
Justin Belair-Hickey, PhD Candidate, PhD
candidate, University of Toronto
Justin’s research is trying to advance our
understanding of stem cells and cell therapy for retinal degeneration. Justin
is trying to recreate macular development in the laboratory with the hope that
understanding this process will provide crucial knowledge that allows
researchers to more efficiently produce cone photoreceptor cells for cell
replacement therapy.
Etienne Benard-Seguin, MD, MD
resident, University of Calgary & Abdullah
Al-Ani, MD-PhD Candidate, PhD candidate, University of Calgary
Etienne and Abdullah are trying to improve the
diagnosis of optic neuritis allowing more accurate and quicker treatment. They
are testing a new low-cost and accessible software based on artificial
intelligence modelling. They hope this will lower costs, lead to more
consistent and robust diagnosis and better outcomes for patients with optic
neuritis.
Dr. Jovi Wong, winner of the Researcher to Watch Award
A new version of the
Optosys® Solution software was introduced on Sunday, November 7 and 14 during a
brand-new format of Optosys® Events. Both OSI Group members and the public were
invited to discover version 44 and learn about the software’s best practices at
a virtual event in the form of a live Talk Show hosted by Optosys® experts.
Entirely developed in Canada
by OSI Group, Optosys® is an all-in-one clinic management solution designed to
meet the specific needs of optometrists and opticians. V44 offers many
innovations such as a redesigned and simplified interface as well as many
additional features and enhanced security settings to protect even more patient
data.
More than 200 attendees
participated in the first edition of these events, who were given the option to
log in to either the French or English edition. Among the guests, Drs. Patrick
Simard and Curtis Akerman, users of the software and OSI Group members, shared
their best practices on using the EMR along with the electronic forms and
referral letters.
“Optosys® users were pleased to see just
how much the software helped simplify their workload. They also appreciated the
timesaving benefits its use provided clinic staff. General feedback from the
event was overall extremely positive,” said Marie-Hélène Morin, Director of
Optosys® at OSI Group.
MIDO 2022 is set to open its doors February 12 to 14 at Fiera Milano Rho, as scheduled. At the moment, there are no barriers to international travel, no measures prohibiting access to Italy by European citizens or those from other key market nations, like the USA.
Currently, about 600 exhibitors have confirmed their participation in the show, of these 350 are international, primarily European, specifically, from France, Germany, Spain, the UK and the United States.
“Although uncertainty is a constant these days, we feel it is our responsibility to support the needs of industry businesses that, over the last two years, have suffered the consequences of the global crisis,” remarked MIDO President Giovanni Vitaloni. “Promoting a product like eyewear, whether optical or sunglasses, requires interaction and MIDO aims to re-establish interpersonal communication. The first Digital Edition, rolled out in 2021, is back again this year. Although a brilliant aid in managing contacts, it lacked the human touch in conducting business. At any rate, we believe we have amply demonstrated in the recent past that MIDO has made responsible choices with regard to exhibitors and visitors, with whom we are constantly in contact to assess and ensure a high-quality event. We are all CRAVING MIDO!”
“The eyewear we will find at MIDO are the result of two years in which companies have followed pathways that led to increasingly customized products, where what matters is their quality, durabilityand content, understood as the story behind the spectacles,” continued Vitaloni. In addition, there is a greater focus on sustainability, with research into recyclable raw materials and production processes with low environmental impact.”
Speaking of sustainability, the 1st edition of the Stand Up For Green award will take place at MIDO 2022 ‒ in recognition of the stands where outstanding environmental sensitivity was exercised, for example, by employing reusable modules, recycled materials or raw materials with low environmental impact. Award winners will be announced on Saturday, February 12. Another award returning this year is the BeStore Award, acknowledging the world’s optical centers that offer an outstanding shopping experience and customer service.
Entries for both awards can be submitted until January 12 on the MIDO website www.mido.com, under the “participate” heading. Also back after a successful first edition is the Your BeStore digital competition award that goes to the optical shop deemed the best by users of the MIDO 2022 | DIGITAL EDITION platform.
Centennial Optical has partnered with Ió:ken Designs to develop and distribute a new Indigenous culturally inspired eyewear collection created in collaboration with Mohawk artist Bruce Boots.
Menicon has announced a change to the distribution of ROSE K lenses in Canada, concluding its licensing agreement with Blanchard Contact Lenses and continuing availability through Art Optical.
The Vision Council has announced the publication of ANSI Z80.1–2025, a revised national standard for prescription ophthalmic lenses reflecting updated tolerances, verification guidance, and industry advancements.
Newton announces a strategic partnership with ABB Labs to expand access to Neurolens and Sequel technologies for independent optometry practices across North America.
Centennial Optical has partnered with Ió:ken Designs to develop and distribute a new Indigenous culturally inspired eyewear collection created in collaboration with Mohawk artist Bruce Boots.
Menicon has announced a change to the distribution of ROSE K lenses in Canada, concluding its licensing agreement with Blanchard Contact Lenses and continuing availability through Art Optical.
The Vision Council has announced the publication of ANSI Z80.1–2025, a revised national standard for prescription ophthalmic lenses reflecting updated tolerances, verification guidance, and industry advancements.
Newton announces a strategic partnership with ABB Labs to expand access to Neurolens and Sequel technologies for independent optometry practices across North America.
Centennial Optical has partnered with Ió:ken Designs to develop and distribute a new Indigenous culturally inspired eyewear collection created in collaboration with Mohawk artist Bruce Boots.
Menicon has announced a change to the distribution of ROSE K lenses in Canada, concluding its licensing agreement with Blanchard Contact Lenses and continuing availability through Art Optical.
The Vision Council has announced the publication of ANSI Z80.1–2025, a revised national standard for prescription ophthalmic lenses reflecting updated tolerances, verification guidance, and industry advancements.
Newton announces a strategic partnership with ABB Labs to expand access to Neurolens and Sequel technologies for independent optometry practices across North America.
Centennial Optical has partnered with Ió:ken Designs to develop and distribute a new Indigenous culturally inspired eyewear collection created in collaboration with Mohawk artist Bruce Boots.
Menicon has announced a change to the distribution of ROSE K lenses in Canada, concluding its licensing agreement with Blanchard Contact Lenses and continuing availability through Art Optical.
The Vision Council has announced the publication of ANSI Z80.1–2025, a revised national standard for prescription ophthalmic lenses reflecting updated tolerances, verification guidance, and industry advancements.
Newton announces a strategic partnership with ABB Labs to expand access to Neurolens and Sequel technologies for independent optometry practices across North America.
