Hi

I probably should have posted this on the Doctors Forum, hopefully Doctors may read this too and give comment.

Does the following quote in anyway demistify, or qualify how izon lenses might work or is it just goobledegook

quote taken from optiboard - from sales and marketing bod (I know!) of the supplier of ophthonix lenses in the UK. As follows:-

I will be happy to answer any questions you may have on the Aberrometer and the lens technology ( within certain limits due to commercial confidentiality ) You should also be aware that I dont work for Ophthonix so I cant speak on behalf of them. So, here are some responses in no particular order that may clear up some of the queries.

1. The reason for 1.6 refractive index lens is that it best lends itself with CVF , Abbe value etc etc as series of features to offer up the best correction of Aberrations and distorions . Higher index lenses do not deliver as good a result with the HOA correction due to the aberrations indiced by the lens itself.
2.The Izonic material (programable material in the sandwich layer) has its refractive index changed at 100s of 1000s of points to match the HOA correction of the patient eye exam . An algorythm is then used to map out the correction to the periphery of the lens .This enables the wearer to look up down sideways etc without experiencing any distortions or swim factor and still acheive HD Vison . (there has been a recent patent placed concerning AMD patients where the programming is maximised to map round the damaged area of vision and maximise the remaining good vision area )
3. The front part of the lens is blank, the back lens is the part that contains the normal correction for sphere ,axis,cyl and prism,it is toroidal.The front surface of this back plate is where the customised corridor is placed .
4.We have found that if the practitioner takes 3 readings on the Z View this works best in the final reading as this allows for accomodation and other eye movement , and also tear flow .
5.We tell the practitioner to do a quick subjective check of Sphere and alter it if required .This is done purely because subjectively when added to the HOA part of the prescription ,if a patient is happier with a 0.25 up or down alteration, then the optimised vision result when added to the HOA part is even better.It is also important to note that you must not change the readings for cyl and axis ,to over-ride them will cause problems with the vision once the HOA has been added into the solution
6.The technology is all about optimised vision , so to that end it offers removal and significant reduction of Comets ,starbursts,halos round lights at night ( ie a much safer driving experience) also improved depth of field and contrast sensitivity and colour perception.
7.Like any new technology it is evolving and the Z View software is upgarded as more refinement is arrived at.But that doesnt mean that it doesnt work at present
8. One of my customers describes it to his patrients and prospective patients as laser surgery conducted on your spectacles and not on your eyes .
9.User data , that I cant share with you on this site, is exceptional there are approx 4000 patient responses on file detailing a 98% preference for the product and that covers all aspects of patient lifestyle and wear/use .
10.The FDA validated an independent trial in a driving simulator at night on a country road with a pedestrian appearing in front of each driver at 55mph which recorded an improved reponse time of 330 milliseconds thats 25 feet with wavefront guided (corrected) glasses compared to standard glasses .
11. Someone mentioned on a post on this site why is the term wavefront guided used .Its purely a marketing term, the term corrected could also be used as it is a bespoke wavefront corrected solution for the 100 error of the eye and not the 80% currently tested for .
12. My sales team always says to any interested prospective customer to get a set of lenses made up for themselves so that they can appreciate the difference and then get the perspective on whats acheivable. end quote


Really glad to hear any useful commentary

Debbie

I would be very interested in hearing if anyone has tried these with post Lasik eyes that were treated with small ablation zones (smaller than their pupil at night). I doubt they would have any improvement in Starbursts and haloes at all.

From the casualties who've tried these glasses and have reported back, all of whom have NVDs and GASH, they are no better than regular glasses. It has been my understanding from each that although daytime vision outdoors in bright sunshine has been good (well, yeah), Izon lenses have provided no relief from NVDs/GASH. Perhaps for those with typical, small, pre-Lasik aberrations they improve night vision. People with smooth, virgin corneas may benefit, but for those whose corneas resemble a plowed field, they just don't do the trick.

From the comments of the doctors I've asked who are familiar with them, they tell me they are useless for the kind of problems we have, and that the product has not lived up to the promise.

Debbie, I'd be interested to know if any of Izon's testing has been done on RS casualties with GASH.

Many of the points listed don't add up.

HOAs are variable, depending on the ambient light. Dark-adapted eyes (larger pupils) have different aberrations than in daylight. Any lens that employs the reading of re-refracted light to arrive at a correction must specify a light level or correct an average of aberrations over various light levels. The exactitude of the lenses then declines.

As far as a patent for "mapping around" age-related macular degeneration loss, the defect in the macula is irregularly responsive to light. That is the problem with degeneration. Mapping around the defect implies that the light images can be displaced to a non-degenerated area. This would simply result in an overlapping of images in functional retina. If the light is diverted from the damaged area, it just makes the relative scotomata (blind spots) more intense. The benefit of this is questionable. What's missing is still missing and missing in the brain's visual cortex. The light represents data - patterns - images - all pre-wired to the brain. If the patterns are irregular or distorted at the neurological level, the irregularity or distortion cannot be undone optically.

Applying for and receiving a patent does not mean that the device truly works or is economically viable. Receiving a patent is not an endorsement of the device or idea; it just protects you from someone stealing your invention.

Marketing is what it is... marketing. I have a patient whose vision was severely disabled by macular degeneration who traveled two thousand miles to an optical guru of sorts who promised to optically shift images to healthy retina and restore his vision and allow him to drive again. His cost for the glasses - $3000. His gain in vision - ZIP. Shifting images is not a new idea; it just gets repackaged with new technology.

Debbie, I'd be interested to know if any of Izon's testing has been done on RS casualties with GASH.[/QUOTE]

Barbara-- I have spoken to the UK distributor for this product who advises me that Ophthonix are looking at the 'algorithms' in order to make adjustments for post RS patients, he advised me to wait for this to be done before purchasing. However he said he did not know how long down the road they were. I have tried to contact ophthonix numerous times - even emailed particular personnel but I cannot get any response. I too would be interested to establish the full situation.

Ironically enough when I was contacting various opticians to find out about these glasses, one optician seemed to want to help, she went through to ASTON science University in Bham in the UK. She spoke to a Professor there who has recently written a book about laser surgery following a large amount of time studying the topic, he recommended these glasses as a solution.

Anyway if anyone else with more muscle and influence would like to try and see if Ophthonix has a voice box, then please share your finds with us.

Debbie