spectacle lens focus

Catch The Wave

Wavefront-guided lenses offer competitive edge.

LOU MANCINELLI, CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

Innovative technology can sustain and grow your practice, giving you a competitive edge among eyecare professionals. For optometrists Tom Motisi and Alan Goldstone, this innovative technology is the iZon spectacle lens, from Ophthonix, Inc.

iZon overview

iZon lenses meet patients' prescription requirements, while also addressing the vision problems associated with their eyes' unique lower and higher order aberrations (HOAs). Because HOAs can cause challenges with distance vision, low contrast sensitivity, starbursts, halos and comets around lights at night and compromise depth perception and color appearance, a patient's vision may be less-than-stellar with their correct manifest prescription ophthalmic lenses.

iZon lenses address the vision problems from HOAs using Ophthonix, Inc.'s Z-view Wavefront Aberrometer, which measures the eye's second- to sixth-order aberrations. Once it obtains the patient's unique optical “fingerprint,” or iPrint, the company creates a customized iZon lens. This can result in enhanced distance and color vision, contrast sensitivity and nighttime vision improvement.

Practice benefits

Dr. Goldstone, of Fountain Valley, Calif., says offering the iZon lenses has enhanced his reputation as a technologically savvy practitioner — something that has both retained and attracted patients.

“There is no other practice in the area where patients can get iZons,” he says. “The main reason selling iZons works [as a practice-builder] is because it differentiates you from the competition.”

Because they address HOAs, iZon lenses can reduce glare when driving at night time.

Dr. Motisi's Milwaukee, Wisc. practice benefits from the fact the lenses aren't restricted by health insurance.

“Insurance doesn't dictate how much you make,” he says. “So, a practitioner who sells iZon lenses is going to realize an increased profit.”

Dr. Goldstone adds, “Once [patients] learn how the lenses work and know they can get their money back if they don't like the lenses, price usually isn't an issue.”

Prime candidate

The Z-View Wavefront Aberrometer contains an algorithm that helps to identify prime iZon lens candidates. Frequently, the prime candidate is the patient who complains of poor night vision.

“We tell them they need the iZon lens because it will address the vision problems from their aberrations,” says Jeanine Figueroa, Dr. Motisi's lead optician and office manager.

Dr. Motisi adds that some post-LASIK patients are also great candidates for this same reason.

“They tend to have more glare and halos at night time,” he says.

Dispensing tips

1.) Tell the patient you have technology that can help him. After using the Z-View Wavefront Aberrometer, show the patient his iPrint, and use the computer simulation to generate how the iZon lens can specifically improve the patient's vision, says Dr. Motisi.

2.) Show patients the iZon lens video. The video shows different scenarios, such as how the patient's vision can be crisper than before on a bright day when sunlight may reflect off glass. “One elderly patient cried when she watched the video and realized she was going to be able to drive again at night,” Dr. Motisi says.

3.) Discuss the iZon lens benefits. Explain [the lens' benefits] in detail. Then, discuss the cost. “If you explain the technology, break the cost down and compare it to other premium lenses, the patient is okay with it,” says Dr. Motisi.

For more information on iZon lenses, visit http://ophthonix.izonlens.com/practitioners.php. OM