Artificial Intelligence and digital tools must to be employed to help support contact lens wearers and create stronger bonds between ECPs and their patients according to Sophie Dutilloy, president of Alcon in the EMEA region.
‘I think there are new opportunities particularly around digital these days; we leverage digital to really connect with the person wearing the contact lens.’
Elsewhere Alcon was highlighting its water gradient Dailies Total1 family, multifocals and its new Systane Complete eyedrops (Showcase, page 8).
Coopervision was calling on practitioners to tell their stories at the BCLA Conference in Manchester last week to highlight them as the heroes and raise the issues of myopia, hypoxia and drop outs. It also used the meeting to reveal the five-year data of its myopia control (MC) study.
Professional services head for Misight, Elizabeth Lumb said the results were significant. ‘There was a pretty dramatic change in the rate of progression of both refractive error and axial length that can’t be explained by natural slowing down, myopia control effect,’ she said.
Coopervision was also highlighting that wearers are switched from silicone hydrogels to hydrogels when moving to daily wear. Director of marketing and national accounts, Mark Draper said ex-wearers still recognise all the benefits of contact lenses. ‘It’s about trying to change behaviours, to understand the emotional motivations for the patient and the effect on the practice as well.’
Menicon revealed further details of its Miru One month multifocal which features a decentred near zone. Andrew Ferguson, sales manager, said this means distance vision doesn’t need to be compromised. Another innovation from Menicon was Bloom (News 31.05.19) described as the only CE approved myopic control management system available on the market today.
Mark’ennovy was among those firms with an Extended Depth of Focus (EDOF) lens on offer. Through a link with the Brien Holden Institute mark’ennovy has developed its EDOF Presbyopia lens which offers better vision at all distances by using the principle to manage higher order aberrations and reduce ghosting.
Extended depth of focus was also in evidence at Safilens. Country manager Ian McDermott said the Italian brand was targeting the UK by investing in an experienced workforce to promote its family of products which includes lenses offering hyaluronic acid and tamarind seed extracts.
EDOF contact lenses from the cradle to the grave were being promoted by VTI. Its Naturalvue 1 day contact lens is being promoted for both presbyopia and myopia control. Peg Achenbach, vice president of professional services, said the lens effectively creates an optical pinhole offering a range of visual benefits.
Seed, which acquired Ultravision last year, was at the event in force and had its Seed 1 Day Pure EDOF lens on show. Pure also includes extracts to improve moisture while the EDOF design, from the Brien Holden Institute, reduces haloes and ghosting.
Duette was the winner of the Optician Contact Lens Product of the year Award and supplier, Synergeyes, had the accolade on its stand. The hybrid lens now offers centre distance designs as well as centre near which is often more suitable for later presbyopes.
Another lens causing a stir was Johnson & Johnson Vision’s Acuvue Oasys with Transitions Light Technology (Optician 31.05.19).
Sandra Rasche, area vice president EMA vision care, said the lens could stop people from leaving and add wearers to the category. ‘For us it is all about being the leader in the contact lens category and to grow the category.’