March 2017

News
in brief
CANNABIS QUESTIONED FOR GLAUCOMA
Marijuana has been given the
thumbs down for treating
glaucoma, reports Optometry
Australia. A new report from the
US National Academies of Sciences,
Engineering and Medicine, ‘The
Health Effects of Cannabis and
Cannabinoids: The Current State
of Evidence and Recommendations
for Research’, which reviewed
more than 10,000 scientific papers, concluded there was no
real evidence to support cannabis as an effective treatment for
glaucoma. “Non-randomised studies in healthy volunteers and
glaucoma patients have shown short-term reductions in intraocular
pressure with oral, topical eye-drops and intravenous cannabinoids,
suggesting the potential for therapeutic benefit,” said researchers,
but “a good-quality systemic review identified a single small trial
that found no effect of two cannabinoids, given as an oromucosal
spray, on intraocular pressure…suggesting a limited potential for
cannabinoids in the treatment of glaucoma.”
ARTIFICIAL VISION: ONE STEP CLOSER
Second Sight Medical Products has announced encouraging results
from its initial clinical safety and feasibility trial of its FDA-approved
retinal prosthesis, Orion I. The company’s goal is to develop a visual
cortical prosthesis that can provide artificial vision for individuals
affected by virtually all forms of blindness by using an electrode
array implanted on the surface of the brain over the visual cortex. A
full clinical trial is still to come.
HOYA ACQUIRES 3M DIVISION
Hoya Vision Care has expanded its capabilities by acquiring 3M’s
safety prescription eyewear business. 3M has been supplying
safety prescription eyewear for more than 90 years and has a
strong foothold in the North American market as well as sales in
Latin America, Europe and Asia. “The safety prescription eyewear
business strongly complements Hoya’s existing portfolio, offering
our customers a broader range of products while continuing to
focus on high quality and service,” said Barney Dougher, president
Hoya Vision Care, Americas.
RECORD NUMBER OF ORGAN DONATIONS
The latest figures from Organ
Donation New Zealand (ODNZ) show
there were a total of 61 deceased
organ donors in 2016, a 69%
increase over the past four years.
From these donors, 181 organs were
transplanted, representing a 57%
increase over the same time period,
though only 46% of deceased organ donors donated eye tissue.
ODNZ, however, facilitated a further 60 eye tissue donations from
donors who could not donate organs.
AUSSIE OPHTHALMIC NURSES JOIN FORCES
Supported by RANZCO, the Australian Ophthalmic Nursing
Association are in the process of formalising an Australian
Ophthalmic Nurses Association National Council (AONANC). The
new, national body will represent the whole Australian ophthalmic
nursing community. RANZCO says it believes having a main-pointof-contact
in the ophthalmic nursing community will enable greater
collaboration and engagement between the profession and the
wider eye healthcare community.
FSA RATES CLIMB
The Ministry of Health released new data showing 148,000 more
Kiwis have received a first specialist assessment (FSA) since 2008,
a rise of 37%. Acceptance rates for FSA assessments are also higher
with data showing there were 177,400 FSA referrals between April
and June 2016, of which 87% were accepted.
EMR DATA INTEGRITY QUESTIONED
A US study has uncovered “large inconsistencies” when comparing
symptoms reported in an electronic medical record (EMR)
compared with patient reports on Eye Symptom Questionnaires
(ESQs). Researchers compared symptoms checked off by 162
patients on paper-based questionnaires with information entered
in their electronic clinic charts. Between a quarter and a half of
patients’ data on blurry vision, glare, pain and redness from the
questionnaires didn’t match the EMR. The data suggests that
symptom reporting varies between methods, with patients tending
to report more symptoms on self-reported questionnaires, said
researchers in JAMA Ophthalmology. “These results suggest that
documentation of symptoms based on EMR data may not provide a
comprehensive resource for clinical practice or ‘big data’ research.”
NEW NSAID FOR CATARACTS
Sun Pharma has launched BromSite (bromfenac ophthalmic
solution) 0.075% in the US following several clinical studies
demonstrating a strong safety and efficacy profile in cataract
surgery patients. Approved by the FDA in April 2016, BromSite is
the first nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) approved to
prevent ocular pain and treat inflammation in the eye following
cataract surgery.
First by robot
Eye surgeons at University Hospitals Leuven in Belgium have
successfully used a surgical robot to operate on a patient with
retinal vein occlusion. The robot, developed specifically for
purpose by Leuven University (KU Leuven), uses a needle, barely
0.03mm in diameter, to inject a thrombolytic drug into the patient’s
retinal vein to remove blood clots.
Current treatment for retinal vein occlusion, which can lead to
blindness, consists of monthly eye injections that only reduce the
side effects of thrombosis. But researchers from University Hospitals
Leuven and KU Leuven are studying retinal vein cannulation (RVC),
a revolutionary treatment that addresses the cause of retinal vein
occlusion by removing the blood clot in the retinal vein.
RVC is a promising method, say researchers, that requires the
eye surgeon to insert an ultrathin needle into the vein and inject
medicine to dissolve the blood clot. This is challenging as a retinal
vein is only 0.1 mm wide, similar to a human hair. No surgeon can
manually inject a drug into such a thin vein while holding the needle
perfectly still for 10 minutes, they say. “The danger of damaging
the vein or the retina would simply be too high.” Which is why
researchers from KU Leuven’s Department of Mechanical Engineering
embarked on developing a robotic device to allow a surgeon to insert
the needle in a very precise and stable way and, once inserted, can be
held perfectly still by the robot for as long as required.
Thinking eyewear launched
The world of wearable technology reached
another milestone with the launch of
brain-sensing eyewear, designed to
improve cognitive function and concentration.
The rather clumsily-named ‘Smith Lowdown
Mpowered by Muse’ combines Canadian tech
company Interaxon’s Muse brain-sensing technology with Italian
eyewear manufacturer Safilo Group’s Smith Lowdown frames.
Designed for athletes and outdoor enthusiasts, the new “smart”
Smith sunglasses were unveiled at the 2017 Consumer Electronics
Show in Las Vegas in January. The Smith frames integrate
brainwave-sensing technology measuring electroencephalogram,
electrooculography and electromyography technologies as well as
other sensors like three-axis accelerometer, gyro and magnetometer,
a UV and pressure sensor and a temperature gauge.
The brain is central to athletic development and outcomes, not to
mention the quality and value of those outcomes, said the companies
in a joint statement. “By implementing the Muse technology
into Smith glasses [we] have advanced a brain-first approach to
maintaining brain health and performance.”
Interaxon’s Muse brain-sensing technology has been in use for two
years in the company’s Muse meditation headband. The technology
measures brainwave activity during meditation and provides users
with feedback and guidance to help them relax and focus. Interaxon
describes the experience as listening to the sound of waves lapping
against the beach: the more focused you are, the quieter and lighter
the waves sound; the less focused, the more thunderous and stormy.
At the end of each brain-training session, the accompanying app
provides users with feedback and a performance score.
“We’ve been providing superior vision and safety through our
market-leading goggles and helmets for more than 50 years and are
excited to add cognitive training and conditioning to our offering,”
said Thorsten Brandt, general manager of Safilo’s sports and outdoor
lifestyle brands. “Active consumers at all levels intuitively understand
the importance of finding their focus, yet up until now, there
CLs differ in myopia battle
The results of a new study, presented
at the American Academy of
Optometry’s annual meeting late
last year, indicate that certain contact
lenses may be better for treating myopic
patients, particularly children.
CooperVision shared its two-year
interim results from a clinical trial
evaluating its MiSight dual-focus myopia
control 1-day soft contact lens. The
dual-focus lens demonstrated a slowing
in myopia development in children by
59% over two years when compared to
children in the control group wearing a
single vision 1-day contact lens.
www.nzoptics.co.nz | PO Box 106954, Auckland 1143 | New Zealand
Initial concerns from parents were
also quickly overcome in the study, with
82% of parents rating their children
as ‘extremely happy’ with the overall
experience. Nearly 80% of participating
children, in both the test and control
groups, also said they preferred wearing
contact lenses to glasses.
A Brien Holden Institute study projects
the prevalence of myopia to increase
from approximately two billion people
worldwide in 2010 to almost five billion
people in 2050. (See also p20-21) ▀
“We are extremely proud our robot enables us to perform eye
surgery that was previously impossible to perform safely,” says KU
Leuven Professor Dominiek Reynaerts. “This brings us one step closer
to commercialising this ground-breaking technology.”
The robot is the result of seven years of collaborative research
between the Hospitals’ ophthalmologists and KU Leuven. The current
phase I trial aims to demonstrate it is technically feasible to use a
robotic device to insert a microneedle into the retinal vein and inject
ocriplasmin to dissolve the clot, while a planned phase II trial will
research the clinical impact for patients. ▀
hasn’t been a lot of products that help you up your mental game.
We believe our collaboration with Interaxon is truly unique and
something our customers will love. This is a first in bringing together
innovative products that beautifully blend technology, form and
style.”
Derek Luke, CEO of Interaxon, said the company was excited by
the launch. “Wearers of Lowdown Focus Mpowered by Muse will
be supported to develop a consistent mental training practice,
leading to greater levels of performance and focus whether they’re
competing, studying, parenting or working. Our collaboration with
Safilo has resulted in the first mental performance-enhancing
eyewear on the market and the first device users will wear
throughout the day, increasing the likelihood they will engage in
beneficial exercises more often and consistently.”
The new smart Smiths should be available for purchase later this
year. The Muse technology will eventually be available with Safilo
brands Smith, Carrera and Polaroid. ▀
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at susanne@nzoptics.co.nz or +64 27 545 4357 in the first instance, or Lesley Springall at lesley@nzoptics.co.nz
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NZ Optics magazine is the industry publication for New Zealand’s ophthalmic community. It is published monthly, 11 times a year, by New Zealand Optics 2015 Ltd. Copyright is held by
NZ Optics 2015 Ltd. As well as the magazine and the website, NZ Optics publishes the annual New Zealand Optical Information Guide (OIG), a comprehensive listing guide that profiles the
products and services of the industry. NZ Optics is an independent publication and has no affiliation with any organisations. The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily
those of NZ Optics 2015 Ltd or the editorial team.
6 NEW ZEALAND OPTICS March 2017