Opinion

A very sizeable order

Rory Brogan

Here's a whole world of contact lenses I haven't paid much attention to, but this story is just too big to ignore - contact lenses for animals and in this case an elephant http://www2.nbc17.com/news/2012/jun/18/5/ncsu-veterinarians-may-give-nc-zoo-elephant-contac-ar-2366333/ The elephant in question is an old chap, C'sar, who has had cataracts removed and has seemingly regained some zest for life. Now his handlers are contemplating fitting him with contact lenses to further improve his wellbeing. There are concerns about how often the lenses would need to be changed and the impact of the lenses, however, in spite of their likely size, a specialist company in Germany - Acrivet would custom make them. Given the elephant in question's eyes are the size of a racquetball, the lenses would need to be soft and almost three times larger than contacts fitted for a human: 38 millimeters in diameter and about half a millimeter thick, which should make them easier to locate when dropped. One of those involved in the decision, Richard McMullan, assistant professor of veterinary ophthalmology. must have one of the best job titles and most interesting jobs around.

Register now to continue reading

Thank you for visiting Optician Online. Register now to access up to 10 news and opinion articles a month.

Register

Already have an account? Sign in here

Related Articles