Company & product profile

Hans Sunassee writes on the evolution of one of the UK’s leading contact lens manufacturers and its expanded portfolio

The current UK headquarters of Menicon are located in Northampton, where we also manufacture and distribute our specialist lenses – a business built on decades of expertise. This location is also our distribution point for frequent replacement contact lenses, supplying eyecare practitioners the length and breadth of the UK.

David Thomas Contact Lenses (DTCL) was a family run business for more than 40 years, founded in 1972 by David Thomas in an old silent film studio in Croydon. The company relocated to Northampton in 1976 so it could expand its manufacturing capability to include soft contact lens production. Due to increased demand, it became necessary to move again to larger premises in 1985.

Having acquired a number of smaller specialty contact lens companies to expand the product range, and invested in new and improved manufacturing systems, by 1988 DTCL had rapidly become the go-to supplier of rigid gas permeable (RGP) contact lenses. In 2005, the company purchased Nova Contact Lenses – manufacturer of the Rose K contact lens. This brought DTCL into the orbit of those practitioners who were prescribing contact lenses for the irregular cornea. In 2009, DTCL was acquired by Menicon, becoming part of the Menicon Group of Companies. It was later renamed Menicon Ltd.

TOOLS FOR PATIENT RETENTION Celebrating its 70th anniversary next year, the Menicon Group was established in Japan in 1951 and is one of the largest contact lens manufacturers in the world, with a presence in more than 80 countries. The company’s highest priority is eye health, using precision craftmanship to help people see life in wonderful detail. Menicon has always combined traditional values of quality, expertise and service with innovative contact lens designs.

Understanding contact lens options and how these can be utilised to help keep patients within your practice, rather than losing them

Figure 1: Fitting the irregular cornea

to online retailers, has been key for a long time, and Menicon provides the tools to do just this. The Menicon package offers the support practitioners need going forwards. It is a six-stage programme, which can be fully adapted to practice needs. It can be delivered in-house or remotely, on an individual branch basis, an NEG group basis or at our Northampton educational facility.

The six stages of the programme are as follows: • Stage One: Patient selection, patient education, patient journey • Stage Two: Taking and understanding topography (Figures 1 and 2) • Stage Three: Lens design, design limitations, Easyfit or/and software aids • Stage Four: Adjustments, toubleshooting,

Menicon support • Stage Five: Payment options, lens ordering • Stage Six: Implementation into practice, front-of-house support, point-of-sale materials, etc

STANDARD RGP CONTACT LENSES Ledaperm GP design The Ledaperm gas permeable (GP) contact lens is a blended multicurve design, which has been supplied in this form for many years and, as such, has become our most popular GP design ordered. Ledaperm lenses are available in a wide range of base curves, diameters and powers. The wide choice of parameters and materials allows the practitioner to select the best combination to meet their patients’ clinical requirements in GP lens wear.

The Ledaperm design is available in various options and can be manufactured in front

Figure 2: Menicon supports topography image understanding toric, back toric, bi-toric, toric periphery lenses with the Ledaperm multifocal including toric forms. A custom (empirical) design service is also available to help practitioners achieve the correct fit and vision correction.

Profile aspheric design The Profile aspheric design incorporates a spherical optic zone, an innovative and progressively flattening aspheric periphery, and a uniformed edge thickness design generated by advanced computerised lathes. The lens contour makes fitting easy and reduces chair time for the practitioner, whilst increasing lens comfort and wearing time for the patient.

The Profile aspheric design is available with various options, which can be manufactured in front toric, back toric, bi-toric and toric periphery lenses – with the Profile aspheric multifocal including toric forms. A custom (empirical) design service is also available to help practitioners achieve the correct fit and vision correction.

IRREGULAR CORNEA CONTACT LENSES Rose K2 design The Rose K2 keratoconus lens design is the most widely prescribed RGP keratoconus contact lens in the world. It has a multispherical posterior design with aberrationcontrol aspheric optics across the back and front optic zone diameters, and is available in any toric lens design.

Rose K2 NC design The Rose K2 NC (nipple cone) primary indication is for advanced and moderate

nipple cones and for secondary applications for any defined nipple cone. The design characteristics concern a very small aspheric back optic zone diameter that decreases as the base curve steepens, and a very rapid peripheral flattening from the back optic zone.

Rose K2 post graft design The Rose K2 lens is designed for postoperative recovery and for improvement in vision. It has a multi-spherical posterior design with some reverse-curve geometry and aberration-control aspheric optics across the back and front optic zone diameters (Figure 3).

Rose K2 IC design The Rose K2 IC (irregular cornea) lens design can be used for irregular corneas where other designs have failed. It has a larger overall diameter, utilises the same systematic fitting approach of the Rose K2 design, and has secondary applications for nipple and oval cones.

Rose K2 XL design This semi-scleral lens is used for keratoconus, pellucid marginal degeneration, post-surgical, and any irregular corneal condition that cannot be successfully treated by fitting a lens within the limbus. The Rose K2 XL follows the same simple, systematic five step fitting process that is advocated for the four other Rose K2 designs, and is extremely easy to fit, even for those who have not fitted a semi-scleral design before.

Rose K2 Soft design The Rose K2 Soft design is a daily wear soft lens for irregular corneas, available as a threemonth replacement lens when manufactured from silicone hydrogel material and as a sixmonth or 12-month replacement lens when

Figure 4: TimeXL scleral contact lens fitting manufactured from hydrogel material. The primary indications for its use are for those with an intolerance to GP lenses; new contact-lens wearers with irregular corneas; early to moderate irregular corneas; conditions where the environment may be unsuitable for GP wear; or for activities where a GP lens may be unstable, such as sport.

Rose K2 Soft uses the same simple, proven five-step fitting method common to all Rose K designs. The design features an aspheric back optic zone, front surface toricity, and front surface aberration control for optimal visual acuity. Additionally, Rose K2 Soft offers precise edge-lift control, prism ballast stabilisation, and reverse geometry for a trouble-free fit.

Time XL design For the TimeXL design (Figure 4), two important innovations were combined for maximum comfort and optimum lens performance. More specifically, the periphery is produced linearly and torically (bitangential). The toric periphery of the lens can be precisely controlled in both flat and steep meridians, and the sclera is outlined for a simple fit and stability, which allows the cornea to be optimally bridged. The toricity is limited to just the periphery of the lens; the back-surface geometry of the optical zone is spherical. If necessary, the front of the TimeXL’s optical zone can be fitted with a corrective cylinder

ORTHOKERATOLOGY CONTACT LENSES Menicon Z Night reverse geometry contact lenses are worn at night to flatten the cornea into a more spherical shape. Myopia and/or astigmatism is corrected after the first night with stable vision achieved within one week. The base curve is responsible for flattening the central cornea and thus reducing myopia. The reverse curve is the link between the central and tangential peripheral parts of the lens. The tear reservoir zone is located in the reverse curve which, together with the three fenestrations, allows optimum tear exchange. The tangential curve allows adequate centration of the lens on the eye.

The advantages of Menicon Z Night for patients include: • Safer and reversible alternative to refractive surgery • Freedom from visual correction during the day and the ability to enjoy excellent vision to undertake all sorts of activities • Minimised allergy and dry eye problems and no more dust particles • Safety of wearing Menicon Z night lenses with maximum corneal oxygenation (hyper Dk Menicon Z material) is assured • Right and left lenses provided in different colours to avoid mistakes

For prescribers, Menicon Z contact lenses offer minimum investment in time and money, with no inconvenient trial set system.

Figure 5: Multifocal lens fitting with EasyFit

EASYFIT SOFTWARE Menicon Z Night contact lenses are fitted with the help of a corneal topographer and Easyfit software (Figure 5). By inputting measurements of ocular refraction and corneal topography, the software automatically assesses whether the potential patient is suitable for orthokeratology treatment or RGP fitting. The software will automatically calculate the most adequate lens to begin with. Additionally, the software offers help in troubleshooting and improving lens fittings.

To discuss how the products mentioned in this article can support your independent practice business, contact Menicon on 01604 646 216 or email enquiries@menicon.co.uk

Hans Sunassee is hospital business development manager in Mencion’s speciality contact lens division.

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