Thursday, 29 July 2010

For Optical History Buffs
Topic: Optical--Sort Of
The Optical Heritage Museum has created a PDF file of the 1913 Optical Society of America's Standards on Spectacles and Eyesglasses.You can read it online or download it to your computer. You read the file using Adobe Acrobat Reader, which usually comes installed on most computers. The reader is available free-of-charge.

Posted by ct3/opticalceu at 7:49 PM EDT
Updated: Friday, 30 July 2010 8:31 AM EDT
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ANSI Z80.1 Standard Changed
The Vision Council recently noted that the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) approved a series of updates to the Z80.1 standard for prescription spectacle lenses. The update should result in better durability and quality.

Posted by ct3/opticalceu at 7:42 PM EDT
Updated: Friday, 30 July 2010 8:33 AM EDT
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Separate Vision Insurances Leads to More Exams
Topic: Insurance
"People who have vision insurance separate from their general health insurance plan are more likely to get their eyes examined, according to a study by the National Association of Vision Care Plans," according to InsuranceCorner.com.

Posted by ct3/opticalceu at 7:21 PM EDT
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Vision-Ease Sues Transitions
Topic: Lenses
Bloomberg.com has reported that "Vision-Ease Lens Inc., a unit of IEAP X LP, sued PPG Industries Inc.’s Transitions Optical Inc. for allegedly monopolizing the market for eyeglass lenses that darken when exposed to sunlight." That's the entire story as posted for now.

Posted by ct3/opticalceu at 10:54 AM EDT
Updated: Thursday, 29 July 2010 10:55 AM EDT
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Celebrate World Sight Day 2010

Four percent of the world's population is blind or vision impaired, even though 80 percent of the blindness is avoidable. For example, a good deal of blindness is the result of trachoma, which affects 84 million people, annually leaving 8 million visually impaired, and river blindness, which infects 18 million people, resulting in blindness for more than a quarter million. The lives of 153 million people, who have no access to eye care, could be changed dramatically.

That could change on October 14 with international support from optometrists and opticians. If you think you may want to help Vision 2020, you can get the low-down by using this link.

Participants in the program include IAPB (International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness), World Blind Union (WBU), International Council of Opthamology, Merck & Company, Carl Zeiss, Light for the World, International Centre for Eyecare Education, and many more.

Posted by ct3/opticalceu at 7:44 AM EDT
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Safilo Gives Eyewear to 75 Athletes
Topic: Eyewear
Safilo USA recently gave 75 Special Olympic athletes free eyewear through the Opening Eyes vision care program. The company noted that the care and prevention program, Opening Eyes, was founded by the American Optometric Association’s Sports Vision Section and formally incorporated into the Special Olympics Healthy Athletes program in 1997. A generous grant from the Lions Clubs International Foundation formalized a global partnership and enabled the Opening Eyes program to expand internationally.

Posted by ct3/opticalceu at 7:02 AM EDT
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Wednesday, 28 July 2010

Yet Another App: Vision Test
Topic: Optical
Yesterday Essilor announced that it launched in Britian Vision Test, an app for iPhones and iPads. According to the company, the objective is to drive customers to "independent Varilux Specialist practitioners." The app requires users to complete an interactive vision test that includes several modules, including visual acuity, astigmatism, and duochrome. Each test has a pass or fail mode. Users with results of less than 100% are advised that their vision could be improved through optical correction. Using the app, users can search immediately for their nearest optician offering Varilux by entering their postcode or through GPS based on their current location.

Posted by ct3/opticalceu at 1:00 PM EDT
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Retinal Images: There's an App for That
According to the Austrailian website Mivision.com, there's an iPhone and iPad app for approximately 2500 retinal images, created by Dr. Salmaan Qureshi.

Posted by ct3/opticalceu at 12:32 PM EDT
Updated: Wednesday, 28 July 2010 12:34 PM EDT
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Tuesday, 27 July 2010

Get the FDA Study about CLs and Children
Topic: Contact Lenses
Earlier we reported that FDA researchers found a high incidence of problems associated with children's use of contact lenses. For a complete copy of the study, click here.

Posted by ct3/opticalceu at 10:24 PM EDT
Updated: Tuesday, 27 July 2010 10:28 PM EDT
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CL Cases Contaminated with Different Solutions
Topic: Contact Lenses

You might be surprised at the finding of a recent study: "Different disinfecting solutions used during storage of silicone hydrogel lenses result in different levels and types of contamination." That's the report on the OSN Super Site. "The unnamed study examined 232 participants wearing one or more of three silicone hydrogel lenses and using one or more of four contact lens solutions. At one month follow-up, between 76% and 92% of all cases were contaminated. Researchers found use of different contact lenses did not affect the contamination rate or the types of microbes," reports the site, home of several ocular journals.Go to the site for more details.

A similar study was concluded about two years ago in Israel with similar results.

Posted by ct3/opticalceu at 9:54 PM EDT
Updated: Tuesday, 27 July 2010 10:14 PM EDT
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What You See (or Hear) Is What You Get--Maybe
Topic: Optical--Sort Of

The Journal of Consumer Research has discovered the smaller the logo, the higher the retail price. "Only 28 percent of the sunglasses that cost $600 or more had a visible logo as opposed to 87 percent of the sunglasses that cost $100 to $200," according to a story from Bnet.com. The conclusion: The not-rich buy status, the rich buy quality.

In another JCR study, researchers found out that Consumers remember the sounds of numbers in prices and associate certain sounds with value. The researchers studied the ability of number-sounds to convey meaning and influence price perceptions.

Posted by ct3/opticalceu at 9:46 PM EDT
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OpticalCEUs Launches New Blog--Product Announcements
Topic: Optical
Every week news appears about a new line of eyewear, new developments in CLs, new agreements between a designer and eyewear manufacturer. To cover those stories, OpticalCEUs has created a new blog called Optical Product News from OpticalCEUs. The blog (www.opticalceu.com/eyewear/) will simply announce the launch of new lines or new products with links to the appropriate news site.

Posted by ct3/opticalceu at 7:39 AM EDT
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Luxottica Positive about Future, according to VM
Topic: Optical

Luxottica's CEO, Andrea Guerra, noted that as the company comes off the second quarter with record sales and profits, he is looking forward to the rest of the year, according to a story in Vision Monday. Reportedly its North American retail brands did well except for Pearle.

The article also noted: "Guerra cited about 10 'special projects' that are underway, designed to help boost second-half results. Included among those are the wholesale division’s upcoming launches of the Chanel Bouton, Prada Swing, Tiffany Key and Burberry April shower eyewear collections. On the retail side, LensCrafters is preparing a strong back-to-school promotional effort, according to Guerra, who also expects sales gains to be generated by the new Sunglass Hut store design launched in April."

Posted by ct3/opticalceu at 6:36 AM EDT
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Monday, 26 July 2010

"Little Bit Apple, A Lot of Disney": The NYTimes Description of Luxottica's New Store Concept
Topic: Optical
Several days ago, we noted that Luxottica launched a new eyewear store in Australia. The store is called Eye Hub. The New York Times has an interesting spread, including pictures, about it.

Posted by ct3/opticalceu at 7:08 AM EDT
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CLs Major Source of Complications for Children
Topic: Contact Lenses
A recent study conducted by researcher with the Food and Drug Administration noted that "More than 70,000 children and teens go to the emergency room each year for injuries and complications from medical devices, and contact lenses are the leading culprit, the first detailed national estimate suggests.

"About one-fourth of the problems were things like infections and eye abrasions in contact lens wearers. These are sometimes preventable and can result from wearing contact lenses too long without cleaning them."

Without immediate access to Pediatrics magazine, which published the study, we could not discover how many of the problems associated with the complications come from children wearing cosmetic contact lenses.

By the way, the story, which first appeared yesterday, is receiving tremendous play in the media, so you might find yourself fielding questions from parents whose children are or might be candidates for CLs.

Posted by ct3/opticalceu at 6:58 AM EDT
Updated: Monday, 26 July 2010 7:32 AM EDT
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Sunday, 25 July 2010

Prices Vary Considerably Among Optical Outlets
Topic: Optical
Of course prices vary from optical shop to optical shop--for a variety of reasons. You might want to take a look at the results of a survey conducted by the magazine Consumers Checkbook. It focuses of the San Francisco area, but it may give you food for thought. The survey is receiving a good deal of attention on the Internet. Here's another site.

Posted by ct3/opticalceu at 5:34 PM EDT
Updated: Sunday, 25 July 2010 5:40 PM EDT
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Cosmetic Contact Lenses--Again and Again
Topic: Contact Lenses
By our count, there have been more than three dozen stories about Lady Gaga and the dangers of cosmetic contact lenses--as was reported her several weeks ago and as was reported on the OpticalCEUs website (www.opticalceu.com) back in May. When you do a Google search, there are more than nine pages of results. Your patients, at least the adults, should be aware, but you can be sure that the teenagers aren't or are ignoring the warnings.

Posted by ct3/opticalceu at 5:22 PM EDT
Updated: Sunday, 25 July 2010 7:35 PM EDT
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New Website for CL Consumers
Topic: Contact Lenses
There's a new website for contact lens users. According to the press release, "LenspriceCompare.com is a website that has been created to offer consumers the ability to learn about contact lens products, compare prices and find the best possible rebate and coupon schemes for their purchase." Go to the site. Judge the quality of information. Judge its marketing advantages for your shop.

Posted by ct3/opticalceu at 5:15 PM EDT
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We're Back
Topic: Optical--Sort Of
We have returned after a week along a place in Maine called Toddy Pond, a nine-mile long, one-mile wide pond between the towns of Ellsworth and Blue Hill. Daytime temperatures around 80, nighttime 65. Sunshine, mostly. Hiking, kayaking, sitting in the sun, eating lobster, seeing lighthouses. Now optical news.

Posted by ct3/opticalceu at 5:02 PM EDT
Updated: Sunday, 25 July 2010 7:36 PM EDT
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Tuesday, 20 July 2010

Dutch Optical Sales
Topic: Optical
"Sales of contact lenses grew modestly in 2009 despite the economic downturn. Sales of spectacles depend more on fashion trends and, therefore, a good economic climate, whereas sales of contact lenses do not." That's the word about the Dutch optical marketing, according to a new report from Fast Market Research.

Posted by ct3/opticalceu at 11:30 AM EDT
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