Team AFT: Naveen Hira, Gethin Sladin (MSO) and Peter Stewart

This year’s CCLS’ sponsors exhibition was buzzing between talks, with attendees keen to hear what’s new and what’s coming. Here are some of the highlights:

OIC and Gelflex

The OIC team was joined by new partner Gelflex’s speciality lens division manager Graham Lehman who was kept busy discussing Gelflex’s new mini-scleral Zen lens. “The Zen lens offers a unique smart-curve system of prolate and oblate design to fit a wide range of corneal shapes. Thanks to the smart-curve, the practitioner only has to adjust only one part of the lens while not affecting the rest of the fit. It’s easier to fit which means less chair time.” For more, see here.

Corneal Lens Corporation

Corneal Lens Corporation’s (CLC’s) stand was well-frequented with attendees wanting to know more about the NaturalVue multifocal one-day contact lens (see separate story, p24). CLC also introduced the Cleadew GP care system for rigid gas permeable contact lenses. Cleadew’s povidone-iodine based disinfecting system is known to be a highly-effective disinfectant against microorganisms, including the highly resistant Acanthamoeba, said CLC’s Graeme Curtis.

Designs for Vision

Design for Vision’s Ralph Thompson had a steady flow of delegates interested in I-Med’s new I-Lid N’Lash lid cleanser range to treat dry eye. Both products, contain hyaluronic acid, while the plus product also has 5% tea tree oil. Sharing the limelight was the Oculus Keratograph K5’s upgraded software offering the clinician patient-friendly reports and a bluetooth joystick control, making pedal or mouse controls redundant, said Thompson.

Device Technologies

Dominating the Device Technologies stand was its new Lacrydiag ocular surface analyser from Quantel Medical. The Lacrydiag attaches to a slit lamp and offers full dry eye diagnosis and ocular surface analysis at an affordable price point, said Gordon. “It can do four, non-contact exams in four minutes, assessing all the layers of the tear film and a meibography of upper and lower eyelids.”

AFT Pharmaceuticals

The AFT team was attracting considerable interest in its Hylo-Forte and Novatears products after they featured in keynote speaker Mark Koszek’s cpd article. Speaking to NZ Optics after, Koszek said he also uses Hylo-Forte for his ortho-k patients as a filling agent. “The coil like molecular structure of hyaluronic acid prevents the lens from binding excessively to the cornea during overnight wear.”

AFT’s Peter Stewart and new distributor, MSO’s Gethin Sladen, were also present to discuss AFT’s new Opti-Soothe preservative-free eyelid wipes and moist heat mask range. The wipes contain tea tree oil, hyaluronic acid, chamomile and aloe vera for daily lid hygiene, while the hydro-bead heat mask is reusable, washable and delivers up to 10 minutes of controlled moist heat for dry eye, blepharitis, meibomian gland dysfunction, chalazion and styes, said Stewart.

J&J Vision

J&J’s Tearscience products, including the LipiView II ocular surface interferometer and LipiScan with dynamic meibomian imaging, were on show for delegates after being discussed by colourful CCLS keynote, Dr Art Epstein, who has tried nearly all the dry eye products on the market in his specialist practice in dusty, dry Arizona. 

Bausch + Lomb

Dominating the stand was B+L’s Biotrue Oneday family, now complete with the new Biotrue Oneday for astigmatism. B+L will launch Ultra for astigmatism in May, completing the Ultra family, said Radiant’s Conor Fitzgerald. “Ultra for astigmatism is the only monthly toric lens with a -2.75D cylinder standard offering.”

CooperVision

Given another focus of the conference was myopia control, the hero of the CooperVision stand was its MiSight daily disposable contact lens range to optically correct existing myopia and slow the progression of myopia. A CooperVision-led working group of leading optometrists and ophthalmologists was set up in December to work with professional associations to establish a standard of care for young myopes.