Revision Optics is close to entering an FDA study on a new lens design, the Presbylens, which is a small plastic lens that is implanted into the cornea to improve near vision. This could prove beneficial for millions of people suffering from aging of the eyes, or presbyopia. In a study conducted in Mexico, most patients were able to see 20/20 at distance and do near tasks including reading without the need for reading glasses. The FDA is yet to give approval for the start of this study.

According to Adam Gordon, an associate professor in the School of Optometry, bifocal glasses can prove handy, but for those who wear contacts, presbyopia has been an annoying part of aging. This problem can be resolved through the new multifocal lenses, which are made with silicone hydrogel polymer, a more breathable and safer material than older soft-lens polymers, Gordon said. Cutting-edge laser technology used in these lenses improves focus on nearby objects.

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.

A new survey sponsored by CooperVision and conducted by Harris Interactive (R) found that 83% of U.S. adults aged 18 years and above are not aware of a vision condition called presbyopia, which inflicts nearly 90 million Americans, or roughly one in three people. The survey also found that only 27% of the U.S. adults aged 18 years and above expect to need bifocals or reading glasses, which is the most common correction for people facing presbyopia.

SynergEyes Inc. has launched special hybrid contact lenses for people over 40, who are suffering from presbyopia. The lenses are called hybrid because the design in it bonds a hard and soft contact lens together to effect vision correction in presbyopia patients. Thus, SynergEyes(R) Multifocal hybrid contact lens provide the comfort of soft lenses along with all the advantages of rigid lenses.