Practice Management 
Tighter EHR Integration
Optometrists can now look forward to more connectivity built into Topcon devices. The company plans to introduce ImageNet Connect, the first product from a new collaboration with EHR software company ifa systems; Topcon recently acquired 50.1% of ifa.

ImageNet Connect is software that connects to all Topcon devices plus various generic ophthalmic devices and systems used in clinics, such as practice management and hospital information systems, says Topcon. 

ImageNet Connect is ICD-10 compliant and provides improved patient and workflow efficiency, according to the company. 

The product will be made available this spring.

Visit www.topcon.co.jp/en.

Surgery Comanagement Resources
A new educational website may help optometrists interested in increasing their surgical comanagement skills. Quantel Medical’s new website educates practitioners on the benefits of using yellow wavelength light during ophthalmic surgeries and promotes the company’s 577nm micropulse laser therapy. It also highlights its applications in treating retinal disease. 

The website contains studies, presentations and published literature pertaining to the safety and efficacy of micropulse therapy for various ophthalmic applications, according to Quantel. 

Visit www.retina-yellow-laser-therapy.com.


Contact Lenses
 
Specialty Lenses
The Alden Optical line of contact lens products, acquired by Bausch + Lomb in January, provides a greater selection of custom lenses to offer eye care practitioners. Several types of specialty lenses, according to the company, are now available:

  • Zenlens, a mini-scleral.
  • Novakone lenses for keratoconus.
  • The Astera multifocal toric lens.

Bausch + Lomb also sells the C-Vue brand contact lenses, licensed by Unilens, which includes aspheric, multifocal and toric options. The company will combine its existing GP contact lenses with the Alden lenses under the new name Bausch + Lomb Specialty Vision Products.

Visit www.bausch.com/our-products.

Toric Soft Lens
CooperVision now offers a new monthly replacement silicone hydrogel lens for astigmatism correction.

The Biofinity XR toric offers a combination of high oxygen permeability and all-day comfort to patients who have both high prescriptions and astigmatism, according to the company.

The new toric lens incorporates a similar uniform horizontal ISO thickness and optimized ballast band as CooperVision’s other Biofinity toric lens version, making it an easy-to-fit, stable toric lens with excellent visual acuity, the company says.

The lens will be available in sphere powers from +10.00D to -10.00D (0.50D steps after +/-6.00D), with cylinder powers from -2.75 to -5.75 (0.50 steps) and an axis of 5 degrees to 180 degrees in 5-degree steps, and +8.50D to +10.00D with cylinder powers from -0.75 to -2.25 (0.50 steps) and axis of 5 degrees to 180 degrees in 5-degree steps.

Visit www.coopervision.com/practitioner.

Contact Lens Care 
Saline Solution
Optometrists now have a new contact lens rinsing solution to offer their patients. Menicon America’s LacriPure offers patients a new alternative to rinsing with tap water. A unit-dose, nonpreserved saline for rinsing contact lenses and lens cases, it is indicated for use with both soft and GP lenses, and is also an approved scleral lens insertion solution, according to Menicon. LacriPure’s vials are appropriately sized for all scleral lens diameters and offer single-use bottles to prevent contamination, according to the company. LacriPure is packaged as a convenient seven-week supply, according to Menicon.

Visit store.meniconamerica.com.