Myopia (nearsightedness) is becoming increasingly prevalent in the United States and throughout the world. A recent multi-year study found that 41.6 percent of Americans were nearsighted in 1999 to 2004, up significantly from 25 percent in the early 1970s.

The primary cause of myopia progression in children appears to be axial elongation (lengthening) of the eyeball. Some researchers believe the key to slowing myopia in susceptible children is found in how light is focused in the peripheral retina. Read more…

Air Optix Aqua Multifocal contact lenses are the fastest growing multifocal contact lenses in the United States, according to CIBA Vision (Duluth, Ga.), the company that manufactures the lenses.

The market share of Air Optix Aqua Multifocals within the multifocal soft lens category grew from 2.5 percent in 2009 to 23.3 percent in 2010, the company says in a recent press release. Read more…

Bausch + Lomb (B+L) recently announced the launch of PureVision 2 HD contact lenses with High Definition Optics.

The new silicone hydrogel lenses are designed to provide exceptional oxygen supply to the eye and also improve visual quality compared with other contact lenses, according to the company.

PureVision 2 HD lenses have an aspheric surface that reduces spherical aberration — a type of higher-order aberration that reduces image quality and causes glare and halos, especially during activities performed in low-light conditions, such as driving at night. Read more…

Johnson & Johnson Vision Care recently announced the launch of a new version of its popular Acuvue Advance disposable contact lenses.

The new silicone hydrogel lenses — called Acuvue Advance Plus — feature Ultra-Clean Technology designed Read more…

If you’ve been wanting to wear silicone hydrogel contact lenses but couldn’t because they weren’t available in your prescription, your wait is over: Custom-made silicone hydrogel lenses are now available in the United States.

The 2002 introduction of lenses made from new-generation silicone hydrogel materials was welcomed by contact lens wearers and eyecare practitioners alike, because silicone hydrogel lenses deliver more oxygen to the eye than traditional hydrogel lenses, which can mean improved comfort and better eye health.

But until now, silicone hydrogel lenses have come only in limited sizes from manufacturers such as Bausch + Lomb, CIBA Vision, Johnson & Johnson and CooperVision. If you have an unusual prescription, such as one with very high amounts of astigmatism, silicone hydrogels weren’t an option for you.

Now Contamac, a U.K.-based supplier of contact lens materials, has FDA approval for a silicone hydrogel material that they’ll be supplying to smaller U.S. lens manufacturers who can fabricate custom lenses. Read more…

SynergEyes, the leading U.S. manufacturer of hybrid contact lenses, has received FDA approval of its new silicone hydrogel hybrid contact lens technology, according to the Carlsbad, California-based company.

The company’s latest generation hybrid contacts made with this new technology will feature SynergEyes’ MaxVu rigid gas permeable material in the central optic zone, surrounded by its new Flex2O silicone hydrogel material, which transmits significantly more oxygen to the front of the eye than conventional soft lens materials. Read more…

A new contact lens from Safigel that slowly releases a common eye drop lubricant — sodium hyaluronate — now is available in the United States for daily wear.

Company promotional material says the lens “replenishes the pre- and post-lens tear film, maximizing lens comfort throughout the longest wearing times.” Read more…

Now that Acuvue recently introduced the first silicone hydrogel daily disposable contact lens approved by the FDA, wearers likely will want to know if benefits merit the extra cost of the lens material.

Acuvue’s 1-Day TruEye daily disposables are made of what the company describes as a “breathable” type of silicone hydrogel contact lens material known as narafilcon B.

Before Acuvue offered silicone hydrogel dailies, these types of contact lenses were replaced only at intervals ranging from weekly to monthly. Read more…

Marietta Vision (Marietta, Ga.) recently announced the launch of the company’s new Bio Contact Lens.

The new soft contact lenses are made of a combination of hydrogel polymers that provides unsurpassed performance for dry eyes, according to the company. Bio Contact Lenses also are highly biocompatible and are a more natural alternative to other contact lens materials, the company says.

Other desirable properties of Bio Contact Lenses listed by Marietta Vision include greater surface wettability and resistance to dehydration for increased wearing time and better end-of-day wearing comfort.

The new lenses also feature advanced aspheric optics designed with wavefront technology, making them capable of reducing higher-order aberrations and producing sharper vision and better contrast sensitivity, especially at night and in other low-light conditions, the company says.

Bio Contact Lenses correct both nearsightedness and farsightedness and have a light blue handling tint. They are available only through private eye care practitioners, and are not sold online or at large chain optical stores or discount stores.

Vistakon has launched 1-Day Acuvue TruEye daily disposable contacts, made of narafilcon B, a silicone hydrogel material just approved by the FDA.

Silicone hydrogel contact lenses are known for their ability to allow oxygen to reach the eye; this, combined Read more…