Seeing Across All Distances
Susan Neadle, Director, Product & Process Integration at VISTAKON®, division of Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc., has worked for years to help meet the vision care needs of others. But her own vision care needs came into view when she led a team developing a multifocal contact lens that offers clear and comfortable vision correction for people with presbyopia, a condition in which the eye’s natural lens loses flexibility, making it difficult to focus clearly across distances.
“I realized I had presbyopia when I began struggling to read the e-mail on my phone and the time on my wristwatch. Both were very blurry, and up-close vision had never been a problem for me in the past,” says Susan. “Once I would finally get my e-mail or my watch into focus, I would then have difficulty shifting focus when I tried to look at something further away. It was no longer a seamless process to view objects across distances.”
Presbyopia is a common age-related condition that can occur as early as the late thirties and early forties. An estimated 90 million people in the United States have presbyopia or will develop it by 2014.
Common signs and symptoms include blurred vision, difficulty seeing details at near distances, headaches, squinting and a need for brighter light while reading. Many people with presbyopia also experience increased feelings of eye dryness, which can make them more susceptible to contact lens-related discomfort.
Near, Far and In-between
New ACUVUE® OASYS® Brand Contact Lenses for PRESBYOPIA combine innovative technologies and materials to address several changes that happen as eyes age.
“We considered patients’ changing visual correction and comfort needs to design a lens that works in harmony with the presbyopic eye,” says Susan, who wears the lenses she helped develop. “Now, when I wear contact lenses, I can see at all distances without difficulty.”
The advanced optical design, branded STEREO PRECISION TECHNOLOGY™, incorporates the best elements of previous multifocal contact lens designs to provide balanced vision across all distances—near, far and in-between—and in different lighting conditions. ACUVUE® OASYS® for PRESBYOPIA is made from the same materials as ACUVUE® OASYS® Brand Contact Lenses and offer the same moisture, smoothness and proven comfort.
The Perfect Fit
Developing contact lenses for presbyopia was only one part of the challenge. Previously, it was difficult for eye care practitioners to fit patients with multifocal contact lenses because of complex changes occurring in the presbyopic eye. Often presbyopic patients who wanted contact lenses were simply prescribed eyeglasses.
The STEREO PRECISION SELECT™ tool was developed to make a successful fit possible in as few as one or two visits. “We knew a multifocal contact lens wouldn’t satisfy doctors unless it could be fit successfully,” says Susan. “To help eye care practitioners manage emerging to advanced stages of presbyopia, we designed a three-lens system in conjunction with the STEREO PRECISION SELECT™ tool.”
Chris Lyons, Director of Combination Products at Vistakon, was a contact lens wearer for several years until he developed presbyopia and had to wear glasses instead. “I was always looking over the top of the frames, or swapping them on and off to see clearly,” says Chris. “I had reading glasses scattered all over the house.”
As soon as the lenses became available in early 2009, Chris visited an eye doctor qualified to fit ACUVUE® OASYS® Brand Contact Lenses for PRESBYOPIA and once again enjoys the freedom of wearing contact lenses. Of his new contacts, Chris says, “They fit me perfectly.”
Important information for contact lens wearers:
ACUVUE® Brand Contact Lenses are available by prescription only for vision correction. An eye care professional will determine whether contact lenses are right for you. Although rare, serious eye problems can develop while wearing contact lenses. To help avoid these problems, follow the wear and replacement schedule and the lens care instructions provided by your eye doctor. Do not wear contact lenses if you have an eye infection, or experience eye discomfort, excessive tearing, vision changes, redness or other eye problems. If one of these conditions occurs, contact your eye doctor immediately. For more information on proper wear, care and safety, talk to your eye care professional, call 1-800-843-2020.
Learn more:
ACUVUE® Brand Contact Lenses
ACUVUE® OASYS® Brand Contact Lenses for PRESBYOPIA
VISTAKON®
Read about a working mom and optometrist’s experience with presbyopia on our corporate blog:
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