The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has given 510(k) clearance to the company’s SOLX 790 for use in Titanium: Sapphire laser trabeculoplasty (TLT). The clearance followed the results of a multi-center clinical trial which established the equivalence of TLT to ALT in its ability to reduce intraocular pressure (IOP) in patients suffering from primary open angle glaucoma and poorly controlled IOP. The laser emits pulses of energy at a wavelength of 790 nm that loosens particles in the trabecular meshwork. The penetration of this energy into the tissue is deeper than other currently used trabeculoplasty lasers. The treatment is long-lasting and less damaging.

Mark Byrne, a researcher at Auburn University, Alabama has claimed that he has developed a contact lens material that can prove to be helpful in getting medication into the eyes in adequate quantities. He has pointed out that the eye is adapted to keeping alien objects out. The contact-lens material developed by Byrne is capable of holding high concentration of medicines, releasing them slowly. The basis of the idea is to design the molecular structure of the lens material to emulate tissue-receptor sites within the body which are the targets of the drug. Byrne has established a company, OcuMedic, which will market the innovation. It has already been developing anti-fungal contact lenses to treat eye infections in horses.

American eye care products developer Alcon laboratories has designed a new lens called Acry Sof Natural Lens, which, it claims to be a better replacement lens. Patients who undergo cataract surgery often complain of the replacement lens being like a pair of heavy-duty sunglasses. The new lens from Alcon promises to filter out rays that can be dangerous. The existing lenses block only UV rays from reaching to the eye. Acry Sof claims to blocks blue light too. But, there is no difference in the costs of the conventional lenses.

Alcon, Inc. has launched its +3.0 Add Power AcrySof® ReSTOR® Aspheric IOL that provides surgeons with another option to meet the clinical needs of their patients. Alcon was given CE Mark for the intraocular lens during late 2007. It is now available in all the major markets apart from the United States. This IOL manages light energy sent to the retina optimally, providing the patients with high resolution image quality and minimal visual disturbances. The clinical studies also showed a high rate of patient satisfaction.

Dr Uday Devgan, a MD, FACS has offered some helpful points to succeed in the presbyopic IOL while going for Cataract surgery. The first thing to be done is post-op emmetropia with the use of precise lens calculations with either immersing ultrasound or the Zeiss IOLMaster, as well as personalization of the A-constant. Selection of the right kind of patients by understanding their expectations is the key to success. Sufficient care has to be taken so that complications are minimized. Producing clear corneas on post-op day 1 is important for patient satisfaction. This can be done by reducing the phaco energy placed into the eye and protecting the cornea with a good quality viscoelastic. Cleaning up the cortex can be done by silicone coated I&A tip. This avoids direct contact of bare metal of I&A tip with the delicate posterior capsule.

Cataract patients would now be able to see everything clearly from near and far with the use of a special type of lens called Crystalens. The lens, that has an ability to be flexible along the muscles of the eye, is the first and only accommodating intraocular lens that has received an FDA approval. Using the natural focusing ability of the eye, Crystalens is the only presbyopia correcting lens which provides a single focal point throughout a continuous range of vision to cataract patients.

Volk Optical, the industry leader in aspheric optics, will be displaying the new Optiflex® Surgical Assistant at the American Society of Retinal Specialists (ASRS) show scheduled to be held from October 11 to15 at Hawaii. The product designed for maximum control of non-contact lens position and focus, the Optiflex, provides clarity and precision of view during vitreo-retinal surgery. Its manual controls facilitate accuracy in adjusting lens positioning and focus control. There are mechanisms that ensure swift movement of lens out of the surgical field when it is not in use. Also on display from the Volk table will be the Digital Series BIO and Slit Lamp lenses.