Silicone hydrogel lenses five times safer

Dr. Leukoma · medicine forum Guru Joined: 30 Apr 2005 Posts: 1283

Oh, Larry, I don't believe in that conspiracy. There was a confluence
of events, beginning with the over-marketing of 30 day continuous wear
lenses in the 1970's. Those lenses were originally developed for
aphakic cataract patients who couldn't remove and insert their lenses.
Unfortunately, the science lagged the hype, and infections resulted.
Of course, we didn't fully understand the role of DK back then. Then
everybody recoiled from extended wear.

Instead, the idea of disposability took hold, and came to fruition with
the Acuvue lens. That sparked a revolution in manufacturing technology
from expensive lathe cut lenses to cheap molded lenses. The result was
massive capitol diversion from material science R&D to manufacturing
upgrades. Unfortunately, that didn't resolve anything, except to
convince everybody that the contact lens market was maturing into a
price-driven commodity business with little or no product
differentiation.

The promise of problem-free continuous wear lenses was all but
eliminated in the minds of the consumers as well as in the minds of the
practitioners because of the steady drumbeat of articles and lectures
on the dangers of continuous wear. It was at that time that I had an
interesting conversation with my Menicon representative on the Japanese
view of the American market, which essentially was that the market
wasn't ready for technical innovation because technical innovation
couldn't exist in a cut-throat market dominated by price.

Now, the irony is that just as the contact lens industry has once again
come up with true innovation, many practitioners cannot make enough
profit to want to promote it to consumers who are still afraid to sleep
in their lenses and who justifiably question the justifcation of the
higher prices that new technology demands. LASIK marketers have very
effectively exploited this situation, and justifiably so. But, I think
that tables are about to turn. I have turned so many problem patients
into contact lens successes with the new technologies, and there are
more in the pipeline. If I were to have a third career, it would be as
a polymer scientist in this new and exciting field.

DrG

Dr. Leukoma · medicine forum Guru Joined: 30 Apr 2005 Posts: 1283

Oh, Larry, I don't believe in that conspiracy. There was a confluence
of events, beginning with the over-marketing of 30 day continuous wear
lenses in the 1970's. Those lenses were originally developed for
aphakic cataract patients who couldn't remove and insert their lenses.
Unfortunately, the science lagged the hype, and infections resulted.
Of course, we didn't fully understand the role of DK back then. Then
everybody recoiled from extended wear.

Instead, the idea of disposability took hold, and came to fruition with

the Acuvue lens. That sparked a revolution in manufacturing technology

from expensive lathe cut lenses to cheap molded lenses. The result was

massive capitol diversion from material science R&D to manufacturing
upgrades. Unfortunately, that didn't resolve anything, except to
convince everybody that the contact lens market was maturing into a
price-driven commodity business with little or no product
differentiation.

The promise of problem-free continuous wear lenses was all but
eliminated in the minds of the consumers as well as in the minds of the

practitioners because of the steady drumbeat of articles and lectures
on the dangers of continuous wear. It was at that time that I had an
interesting conversation with my Menicon representative on the Japanese

view of the American market, which essentially was that the market
wasn't ready for technical innovation because technical innovation
couldn't exist in a cut-throat market dominated by price.

Now, the irony is that just as the contact lens industry has once again

come up with true innovation, many practitioners cannot make enough
profit to want to promote it to consumers who are still afraid to sleep

in their lenses and who are naturally sceptical of the
higher prices that new technology demands. LASIK marketers have very
effectively exploited this situation, and justifiably so. But, I think

that tables are about to turn. I have turned so many problem patients
into contact lens successes with the new technologies, and there are
more in the pipeline. If I were to have a third career, it would be as

a polymer scientist in this new and exciting field.

DrG

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