Instruments
Give Yourself an Edge

Ease the burden on your in-office finishing lab with Essilor’s Neksia, which unites a high-performance edger and frame tracing system with a computer-assisted centering and blocking device—together, Neksia is designed to finish modern premium lenses and frames with precision and ease.

Essilor touts Neksia’s accuracy, speed and ease of use as primary benefits. The edging system features a user-friendly interface that allows the user to launch jobs using icon-based functions on two simple, colorful touchscreens. Up to 1,000 jobs are stored in Neksia’s database.

Visit www.essilorinstrumentsusa.com.

See the Bigger Picture
Low-vision macular degeneration patients who need greater magnification for home or office now have even more options with Tech Optics International’s portable electronic digital magnifiers.
 


These mini-magnifying computers come in four models, from basic to multi-functional, and feature LCD screens, adjustable brightness levels and allowances for enlarging, reducing or freezing images. Lightweight and portable, they provide magnification as low as 3x and as high as 18x-plus. Users also have the option of selecting full color, positive/negative, high contrast and color blue/white, black/yellow, blue/yellow and black/green.

Visit www.TechOpticsInternational.com.

Ready for Refraction
Enjoy freedom of movement and full control of the phoropter head and projection chart with Visionix’s VX 55, a new type of refraction product that allows for connectivity among diagnostic devices and easy importation of measurement findings into EMR systems.

With the VX 55, you can digitize your manual phoropter and control the entire refraction process from your tablet, increasing efficiency and performing refractions more quickly and easily.

 

Visit www.visionix.com.

Contact Lenses
Systems are Go

The FDA has issued marketing clearance for Bausch + Lomb’s Biotrue OneDay for Presbyopia, the first daily disposable multifocal contact lens from the Biotrue OneDay line.

Featuring a next generation three-zone progressive design, along with bio-inspired HyperGel material, the new lens provides comfortable vision throughout the day and exceptional vision across near, intermediate and distance, according to the company.

Visit www.bausch.com.

Color Millennials Happy

Surveys show that Millennials consider expression of color an important way to enhance their appearance and express their individuality. Alcon has answered this call with its latest launch, Air Optix Colors. These lenses allow consumers to enhance their eye color in a way that mimics the natural, subtle color blend of the iris.
 


The lenses are offered in nine hues, from subtle to vibrant, and are the first monthly-replacement, daily-wear color lenses available in the US on a silicone hydrogel platform. Colors include pure hazel, blue, green, gray, brown, brilliant blue, gemstone green, honey and sterling gray.

 Visit www.alcon.com.

Expansion Pack
Research shows that patients who have access to larger contact lens inventory pack sizes tend to be more compliant in replacing their lenses biweekly as recommended by their doctor and had a significantly better wearing experience, Johnson & Johnson Vision Care says. Thus, the company has replaced all three-month Supply Packs of Acuvue Oasys with a new six-month pack.

Visit www.acuvueprofessional.com.

Eyewear
Righteous Courage

For every purchase from its Not of This World line—which now includes Righteous sunglasses and Courage frames—Eyes of Faith donates eye care or eyewear to faith-based optical missions. Features of Righteous, a unisex design, include an aviator shape and spiritual accent identifying them as NOTW eyewear. Courage, also unisex, combines mature colors with youthful style and features silver-toned diamond rivets and a distinctive logo.

 

Visit www.eofoptical.com.

Google Goes Glam
Five stylish frames are now part of the Google Glass craze. Partnerships with Diane Von Furstenberg, Luxottica, Ray-Ban and Oakley have made the glamorous life possible for Google Glass.

The hardware in the frames—which will come at a price of about $1,500—is unchanged, except for the designer element.

Visit www.google.com/glass.
 


Diagnostics
Genetic Detection

Patients aged 55 and older with early or intermediate dry AMD could be educated about their risk assessment for the development of wet AMD/CNV through Nicox’s RetnaGene AMD, a test that evaluates genotype and other known risk factors.

RetnaGene AMD provides an assessment for development of wet AMD/CNV within two, five and 10 years. Nicox’s RetnaGene portfolio also includes RetnaGene LR, which assesses the lifetime risk of advanced AMD (wet or dry) in patients who have not been diagnosed with AMD, age 55 and older and/or with a family history of the condition.

Visit www.nicox.com.
 
Mobile App
Find & Wear

The process of finding and wearing the right contact lenses has gone digital with CooperVision’s newest mobile app, which provides consumers with access to useful contact lens info and tools, including ways to find a nearby optometrist, identify potentially ideal lenses to discuss with a practitioner, and a customizable reminder that will sound an alert when it’s time for a lens replacement.

Visit www.coopervision.com.

Dry Eye Therapy
Soothing Protection

A compromised lipid layer of the tear film is the deficiency most associated with dry eye symptoms. Bausch + Lomb’s Soothe Xtra Protection eye drops with Restoryl, an emulsion system featuring a blend of mineral oils and interfacial molecules, targets the main source of symptoms by restoring lipid layer thickness.

The product has been relaunched after a hiatus and is now preserved with polyquaternium-1 with a borate buffer system, commonly used in ophthalmic formulations. Soothe XP is now available at Walmart and Target, and will soon be available at additional retailers, such as Walgreens, Rite Aid and CVS.

Visit www.bausch.com.

Patient Education
Sun Safety

It’s just as important to shield your eyes from harmful sun rays as it is to shield your skin. To make this message clear, Johnson & Johnson Vision Care has introduced a free education resource, “The Sun & Your Eyes: What You Need to Know.”

The resource can be viewed or downloaded from the education and resources section of the website. It includes important information on unexpected sources of UV radiation exposure, as well as straightforward, practical advice on reducing risks of exposure. It also offers tips on what to look for when buying sunglasses.

Visit www.acuvueprofessional.com.

Contact Lens Care
Flip Out for Flip-Tops

Forget the white screw-top cap—Alcon has introduced a convenient flip-top for its Clear Care Cleaning and Disinfecting Solution.

They’ve made it red to remind customers about the potential dangers of misusing hydrogen peroxide eye care products. The size of the bottle has also been made shorter and wider. The product inside remains the same.

Visit www.alcon.com.