PRACTICE TIP: How to improve glaucoma education
One way to help patients understand the seriousness of glaucoma is to explain the condition simply, writes Dr. Austin Lifferth in his latest “Glaucoma” column. If a patient asks, “What is glaucoma,” he typically starts by responding: “Simply, glaucoma is nerve damage. Specifically, glaucoma is characteristic structural damage to the optic nerve, which communicates images from the retina to the brain.” To read the rest of his column, click here.
RESEARCH NOTES:
- A recent study published in JAMA Ophthalmology found that daily use of 650-nm of low-level red-light treatment throughout 1 year can slow the progression of spherical equivalent error and axial length without safety concerns in children with myopia. The single-masked, randomized clinical trial at 1 site in China enrolled 336 children aged 6 to 12 years with a spherical equivalent error of -6 D to 3 D analyzed from March, 2023, to July 2023. Participants were either administered irradiation for 3 minutes, twice daily, 4 or more hours apart, or no intervention. Read the report in full on JAMA Ophthalmology’s website.
- Visioneering Technologies, Inc., continued to release 1-year prospective data on the PROgressive Myopia Treatment Evaluation for NaturalVue Multifocal Contact Lens Trial (PROTECT). Presented at the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology annual meeting, the new PROTECT data showed that 58% of patients wearing NaturalVue had axial growth similar to age-matched emmetropic children, and 45% of patients had no progression (change less than or equal to 0 D). Treatment group, compared with control group, experienced 71% or (0.41 D) reduction in refractive error progression and 0.17 mm or 61% average reduction in axial elongation.
AOA+ programming to be featured at June conference
The American Optometric Association (AOA) and American Optometric Student Association will host AOA+ programming at this year’s Optometry’s Meeting, taking place June 19-22, under the banner of “Harmonizing Our Vision” in Nashville, Tenn., at the Music City Center. AOA+ is a year-round program intended to help optometry students and new graduates find career-development and skill-building resources, as well as professional networking and advocacy opportunities. Among the AOA+ events at the Optometry’s Meeting conference will be an AOAExcel Career Center Fair and an AOA+ Leadership Link networking event. More details can be found here.
Bausch + Lomb launches Zenlens ECHO scleral lenses
Bausch + Lomb announced the U.S. release of its Zenlens ECHO scleral lenses. The lenses are a non-prosthetic, custom scleral contact lens technology designed to fit a wide variety of corneal shapes and sizes, including patients who have advanced ocular conditions such as corneal degeneration and certain postoperative conditions. More information on the Zenlens ECHO scleral lenses can be found here.
Eyewear Artwalk Denver set for June
Eyewear Artwalk Denver is set to take place June 13 to 15 in Denver at the McNichols Building & Civic Center Park. The event includes curated sessions on basics of eye care, personalization with eyewear, dry eye, myopia, glaucoma, gaming eye care, cosmetics, and dry eye, CE, networking, and entertainment. More information can be found here.
Heidelberg Engineering and Eye2Gene announce partnership
Eye2Gene, an artificial intelligence National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) funded project based at the University College London Institute of Ophthalmology and Moorfields Eye Hospital, and Heidelberg Engineering, a manufacturer of ophthalmic imaging and data technologies, announced a collaborative partnership at the ARVO 2024 Annual Meeting in Seattle, held May 5 to 9. The partnership combines Eye2Gene’s AI algorithm for the prediction of inherited retinal disease genes with Heidelberg Engineering’s products, such as the SPECTRALIS diagnostic imaging platform. More information can be found here.
IACLE opens applications for its 2024 awards
The International Association of Contact Lens Educators (IACLE) is offering educators worldwide the chance to become an IACLE Contact Lens Educator of the Year and travel to the annual meeting of the American Academy of Optometry in Indianapolis on November 6 to 9. The IACLE Contact Lens Educator of the Year title will be awarded to three individuals, one from each of IACLE's three global regions: the Americas; Asia Pacific; and Europe, Africa, Middle East. Winners will receive up to $3,000 (U.S.) towards the cost of attending the 2024 show. More information on the awards, which are sponsored by CooperVision, can be found here.
New England College of Optometry provides resources for allergy season
New England College of Optometry has a resource ODs can share with patients about seasonal eye allergies, including the causes of allergies, helpful solutions, therapeutic options, from eye drops to allergy shots, and tips for contact lens wearers who suffer from allergies. Find the resource at https://www.neco.edu/news/beat-seasonal-allergies-this-season/.
NORA opens registration for 2024 conference
The International Neuro-Optometric Rehabilitation Association’s 34th annual conference is set to take place September 19 to 22 in Kissimmee, Fla. The conference, “Integrating Vision into Brain-Based Therapy,” incudes CE, clinical skills workshops, and lecture presentations. Registration can be completed on the organization’s website.
Prevent Blindness to hold second ASPECT summit
Prevent Blindness will host the 2024 ASPECT Patient Advocacy and Engagement Summit on May 14 to 16 in Washington, D.C. The goal of the ASPECT program is to equip participants with knowledge, skills, and confidence to become advocates for vision and eye health at the individual, peer-to-peer, community, state, and/or national levels. As part of the summit, Prevent Blindness will also hold its 19th annual Eyes on Capitol Hill legislative day. More information can be found here.
World Council of Optometry announces 2025 meeting details
The 5th World Congress of Optometry, annual meeting of the World Council of Optometry, will be hosted in conjunction with the 128th Annual AOA Congress and 57th Annual AOSA Conference, Optometry’s Meeting 2025. The event is set to take place June 25 to June 28, 2025 at the Minneapolis Convention Center, Minneapolis, Minn. For more information about the 5th World Congress of Optometry and Optometry's Meeting 2025, please email enquiries@worldoptometry.org.
Xenon Ophthalmics partners with visuSolution GmbH
Xenon Ophthalmics and visuSolution GmbH announced a strategic partnership for the European eye care market. The partnership will combine visuSolution GmbH’s experience in distribution with Xenon Ophthalmics’ telehealth technology, according to a press release. The partnership’s centerpiece is Xenon Ophthalmics’ XO Exam system, which helps facilitate comprehensive eye examinations remotely. More information can be found here.
Zeiss’ “Innovation Hub” moves into new Dresden building
Zeiss has moved its Dresden, Germany-based Innovation Hub into a new building in the city that offers more floor space and modern laboratories, which the 12 Innovation Hub employees will share with teams from Zeiss Microscopy. The Dresden Innovation Hub is one of two such Zeiss facilities, where employees develop ideas and research approaches for Zeiss business units and customers.