PRODUCT REVIEW

In the Works: Refractometry for Kids
Welch Allyn’s new vision-testing instrument can detect refractive errors in children in less time than an auto-refractor, the company claims. The technology, which will be available next summer, identifies key risk factors for amblyopia.

Currently in clinical testing, this hand-held device works by lining up the optics 16 inches from the patient’s eye vs. the 2 inches or less typically required with most auto-refractors. The instrument has visual and audio cues that engage the child, eliminating the need for the child to respond. It can take five readings in a second with the press of the button. Call 1-888-359-2394.

Live-Motion, Fundus Capability in one Camera
The FDA has cleared the way for Ophthalmic Imaging Systems to market its Digital Fundus Imager. This device has both live-motion and retinal camera capabilities, with high-resolution color and fluorescein angiography modes, image storage capabilities, on-call playback, immediate digital recording access and hard-copy printouts. The company says it’s designed for screening diabetic retinopathy, recording nerve head changes and producing early-phase, real-time angiography. Call 1-800-338-8436.

Become Infant-Friendly with Volk
You can now manage retinopathy of prematurity and other infant conditions with Volk’s new wide field contact lens made specifically for the eyes of young patients. The QuadPediatric offers a 110° field of view in and incorporates a 10mm contact surface to accommodate the narrow palpebral fissures of infants and premature babies. The lens is designed for use with hand-held or standard slit lamps. It’s available with a 30-day, money-back guarantee. Call 1-800-345-8655.

New Algorithm for Fields Device
Dicon’s SST Autoperimeter features a new algorithm, automated fixation device and voice prompts. The new algorithm-only thresholds suspect areas of the visual field and defines defects with a high-resolution pattern. Its two-eye printout report includes both calculated and threshold values in decibels, and gray scale, testing reliability and pass-fail symbols equivalent to industry standards. There is no need for special paper. The SST offers five different test strategies for central (30°) or full (60°) fields. Call 1-800-426-0493.

Upgrades for NFAs
The 1999 models of the GDx Nerve Fiber Analyzer and TopSS XL-2020 from Laser Diagnostic Technologies offer upgraded hardware and software for faster and easier exams, LDT says. The faster microprocessors provide acquired images and results faster than previous programs.

The new models also have dual hard drive systems to eliminate the need for separate disks for image storage. The instruments automatically store images on one hard disk and backs them up onto another. They can be exported to floppy disk to transfer data between the two systems. Call 1-800-722-6393.

Bringing Exams Out of the Dark
AcuityMax visual acuity software from Science 20/20 puts a visual acuity chart on a standard PC (386 or higher) in place of the chart projector. The program allows test distances from 10-28 feet and works with

or without a wall mirror. It provides multiple sets of letters for each line, which prevents patients from memorizing letters, and it permits testing with room lights on.
AcuityMax also allows for additional tests, including contrast sensitivity, log MAR progression, and equal legibility letters, and it enables hearing-impaired patients to communicate from behind the phoropter. This program also includes tumbling E's, Landolt C's and children’s shapes. It can display Optotypes as single or multiple lines, isolated letters or a column of letters. The instrument also has astigmatic test targets, duo-chrome and worth dot tests, an interactive retinoscopy test target for children, metric units and customized examiner preferences. System support includes on-line assistance. It’s available as a complete system, with computer,
monitor and software, or as software only. Call 1-877-436-9868.

Advansys Assists your Practice
The Optometrist’s Assistant from Advansys Technol-ogy is management software that includes marketing programs designed to manage new names and grow your recall of existing patients. The software uses relational database and client-server architecture, and runs on Windows 3.1, 95, 98 and NT platforms. It is year 2000 compliant.

The package is customizable and features functions that enable you to gather patient information, perform multiple doctor appointment scheduling and track visit anniversaries and statistics for use in marketing campaigns. It also tracks patient eyeglass and contact lens prescriptions, including refraction and prism data.

Accounting and general ledger modules are also available. Call 1-888-322-6940.

Another Quad from Accutome
Accutome offers mydriatics, Accu-Atrophine, Accu-Pheneylephrine, Accu-Tropicamide and Accu-Pentolate for all your diagnostic needs. Use these four therapeutics for dilation during refractions. Available with no minmum purchase. Call 1-800-979-2020.

Spring Punch Packs Adjustable Tension
The adjustable spring punch with cup point is the latest offering from Hilco. With dial-in pressure selection for adjustable tension, the spring punch peens over screws or rivets. Flat and pointed varieties are available and interchangeable. The pointed tip accurately marks metal or plastic and acts as a locator punch. Call 1-800-477-9877.

SOLA Provides More Access
The Access computer lenses from SOLA Optical USA in CR-39 are now available in a 3.00 base, extending the near prescription range from -6.00D to +4.00D to a combined cylinder power of -4.00D. The lens provides extra-wide near vision through the bottom of the lens, transitioning to extra-wide intermediate vision at the top of the lens. SOLA says this design results in wide, clear uninterrupted vision from close up to 7 feet away. The lenses are designed for computer-using presbyopes who typically wear single vision, progressive, bifocal or even contact lenses. Call 1-800-358-8258.

More for Less from RLX
The new semi-finished, single-vision RLX 1.6mm lens from Signet Armorlite is made from a proprietary new monomer. The lens can be substituted in any existing 1.6mm prescription and comes in both spherical and aspheric designs. The lens has RLXPlus scratch-resistant protection built-in. Call 1-800-759-4630.

New Two-Week Torics
For astigmatic patients with frequent replacement schedules, Bausch & Lomb introduces SofLens66 Toric, a two-week replacement lens with what B&L calls a “low-torque” design. B&L says the design provides rotational stability across all spherical and cylinder powers.

The lenses are manufactured using a proprietary molding process with computer alignment to ensure the reproducibility of lens parameters. Lens material is alphafilcon A, a high-water (66 percent), non-ionic material designed to offer a balance between oxygen permeability and dehydration resistance. The lenses also incorporate a strengthening agent to enhance tear strength and improve lens handling. The lenses come in six-lens blister packs. Call 1-800-828-9030.

Bringing More Color to Astigmatism
Astigmatic patients now have another cosmetic contact lens option: Wesley Jessen’s DuraSoft 2 OptiFit Colors daily wear opaque toric lenses now come in four colors: green, hazel, gray and blue. The colors are available in a wide range of patient prescriptions. The lenses are made-to-order and delivered within three weeks of the initial order. Call 1-800-348-9595.

Going Thinner for Daily Wear
Paragon Vision Sciences has developed Paragon Thin, an oxygen-permeable material made specifically for thin contact lens profiles. Paragon Thin uses a hyper-purified delivery system (HDS) that incorporates only pure silicone materials. The company says this technology allows Paragon Thin to offer an extremely thin center capacity, a smooth surface, stability and maximum wetting. Contact lenses made from Paragon Thin (paflufocon C) are approved for daily wear. Call 1-800-528-8279.

For this Cleaner, it’s in Patient’s Hands
ContaMousse hand and case cleaner is now available in the United States from Accugel Labs/Eurexpan USA. The formula includes poloxene, a non-ionic surfactant, and bactofongus, an antibacterial agent. Its cleansing actions purify the skin and eliminate deposits that irritate eyes and damage contact lenses, Accugel says. Its neutral pH is also compatible with the environment of the skin and leaves hands residue-free. Call 1-800-851-4557.

Cleaning with a Clear Conscience
Clear Conscience saline solution is an FDA-approved, preservative-free, cruelty-free and environmentally
safe sterile saline solution for rinsing and storing contact lenses. The solution is a pH balanced,
buffered saline solution for rinsing, for use with multi-purpose solutions or chemical disinfection, heat disinfection and for storage of soft contact lenses. Ten percent of all proceeds are donated to environmental and animal welfare charitable organizations. Call 1-800-595-9592.

More Harley for the Money
Two new frame styles from Viva International are signature Harley Davidson designs. The frames feature extended end pieces, bowed temples with industrial-like accents and screwed-on temple plates with an engraved logo. Even the nose pads feature a mini HD logo within the outline of a teardrop-shaped gas tank.
HD90 is available in sizes 48-21-135 and 50-21-140 and comes in dark brown, gunmetal and shiny gold/matte gold. HD91 is available burgundy, gunmetal and light brown, and in sizes 47-21-135 and 49-21-140. Both unisex styles are made from monel and nickel-silver. Call 1-800-345-8482.

A New Vogue Duo
Luxottica offers two additions to its Vogue collection. VO3244 is a metal, female style with an oval shape, available in natural, GEP tortoise, natblack, steel forest, steel navy and steel wine. It comes in sizes 48/18 and 50/18, with temples 130 and 135.

VO3245 is a unisex metal rectangle shape available in sizes 48/19 and 50/19. It comes in colors GEP, GEP tortoise, natblack, steel, satsteel navy and satsteel wine. Call 1-800-422-2020.

Five for ’99 from Kenneth Cole
Kenneth Cole introduces five new styles for its 1999 New York collection. Unisex styles are: De Ja View, a laser-cut model with a rectangular shape, available in sizes 45 and 47 and in brown, black and navy antique; and Supporting Role, a lightweight frame available in sizes 39 and 41.

For women there’s Seeductive, a feminine trim oval with a tooled temple design that comes in bronze antique, black and wine matte, and sizes 46 and 48; Real Malloy, stainless steel with an upswept shape, available in sizes 45 and 47, and colors bronze antique, wine matte and black; and City Wrap, a zyl oval with library temples and a wrapped end piece design, available in amber demi, black amber and blonde honey, and in sizes 48 and 50. Call 1-800-645-3733.

Two New from DKNY
DKNY introduces two new unisex models, the “Durell” and the “Gluck.” Both are lightweight, and available in dark, subdued colors to suit both women and men. “Gluck” is hexagon shaped and comes in size 43-20-140. “Durrell” is a more oblong, cat-eye shape and comes in size 44-19-140. Both frames are available in semi matte black, matte coffee, dark ruthenium and antique pewter. Call 1-800-552-6847.

Jones New York Goes Flat
The frames in Jones New York’s Flatwire collection is designed to be modern and feminine. Made of monel metal, the collection includes two styles: JN12749, which is oval and available in size 49-20-140; and JN12847, a round shape offered in 47-20-140. Both models feature beveled temple tips, adjustable nosepads and logoing tooled into the temple. Call 1-800-552-6847.

Pure Titanium from L’Amy
L’Amy includes eight new 100% titanium eyewear models; four women’s and four men’s. Four of the models have traditional hinges, while the others have titanium flex hinges with pure titanium casing. The women’s line features Tamara, Tatiana, Tessa and Toinon, available in gold marble, aquamarine, rose mist, two-tone gold and gold coffee. Men’s styles include Thibault, Tino, Thomas and Tanguy, and come in two-tone gold, mocha, bronze and gold tortoise. The frames are hypoallergenic and corrosion proof, as well as thin and lightweight. All frames include a complimentary hard case. Contact 1-800- 243-6350.

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