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Silicone Hydrogel Contact Lenses

Silicone Hydrogel Contact Lenses

Silicone Hydrogel contact lenses are here to stay. These super-permeable contact lenses allow the transmission of unprecedented amounts of oxygen to the cornea. Previous spectacle wearers have found these lenses more comfortable and wearable than their previous versions. Silicone Hydrogel has made contact lenses available to patients that could not comfortably wear contact lenses in the past. This has opened a new market to Eye Care Professionals and it is up to ECPs to stake their claim.

Silicone hydrogel contact lenses represent a breakthrough over traditional hydrogel soft contact lenses, because the silicone allows so much more oxygen to pass through the lens. These lenses breathe up to seven times more oxygen than previous contact lenses. A recent online survey asked Eye Care Professionals if they prescribed silicone hydrogel contact lenses and given the numerous benefits of these lenses, the results were somewhat of a surprise. Of those participating in the survey, 36% prescribed for 30-day wear, 27% for daily wear, 16% for 7-day wear and a remarkable 21% of eyecare professionals did not even prescribe these lenses. If you are part of that 21% you might want to reconsider. Vistakon has been marketing their lenses direct to the consumer with eight new television commercials offering free trial pairs. Chances are that your patients will see the ads and ask you about the lenses. Be prepared or better yet, make the first move. Offer these lenses to your patients. The current brands of silicone hydrogel lenses available are:
· Ciba Focus Night & Day which is approved for 30 day continuous wear.
· Vistakon’s Acuvue Oasys which is approved for 2 week daily wear use or 6 night extended wear and is designed to be more moist than the others and is therefore beneficial for people who have dry eyes.
· Ciba’s O2 Optix which is approved for 6 days continuous wear or 2 weeks daily wear.
· Bausch & Lomb’s PureVision which is approved for 30 days continuous wear.
· Vistakon Acuvue Advance is a 2 week disposable.

There are also currently two toric (astigmatism correcting) silicone hydrogel lenses on the market:
· Bausch & Lomb PureVision Toric is a silicone hydrogel toric lens approved for 30 days extended wear use.
· Acuvue Advance For Astigmatism – currently approved as a 2 week daily wear lens. The only made to order custom lens was recently launched by Ciba vision.
· Ciba’s O2 Optix Custom, which is new to the market and the only made to order silicone hydrogel available to date.

According to equity research firm Robert W. Baird & Co., by 2009, silicone hydrogel contact lenses are expected to account for more than two-thirds of U.S. soft contact lens sales. It is no wonder that all major contact lens manufacturers today are offering their own versions silicone hydrogel lenses. Convert those diehard spectacle wearers to contact lens wearers. Educate your patients to the benefits and comfort of these lenses. Carve out your share of the silicone hydrogel market.

Imperial Optical, Inc., founded in 1989, is the largest independent wholesale contact lens distributor in North America specifically focused on providing eyecare professionals with one-stop access to a superior selection of value-priced, top quality, branded contact lenses and a commitment to customer service known throughout the industry as the "Imperial Advantage." To learn more about Imperial Optical, Inc., the "Imperial Advantage" or how to become an Imperial Optical Strategic Partner, visit www.imperialoptical.com. Download a new account application form (http://www.imperialoptical.com/files/application2004.pdf) to begin taking advantage of Imperial Optical’s industry leading single-tier pricing structure today.

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Imperial Optical, Inc.
30 Lawrence Paquette Industrial Drive
Champlain, NY 12919
Phone: 800 367 8422
Fax: 800 803 0455
Email: info@imperialoptical.com