It's time we got smart about contact lenses

Without doubt, contact lenses are one of the greatest inventions of our time. They bring clear vision – and many other practical and psychological benefits¹ – to an estimated 140 million people around the world². We should, however, always look for new ways to improve both the performance and experience of contact lenses. By doing so, we can keep wearers happy with a combination of contact lenses and glasses – and prevent dropouts occurring.

Thankfully, there’s a simple yet innovative solution that can help eyecare professionals address the issues that some of their contact lens-wearing customers may be facing.

But first, what are the most common issues with contact lenses?

In a patient survey of 1,031 wearers of conventional soft daily disposables³, most people (98.4%) spent up to five minutes applying their lenses. And a minority (0.2%) needed a tedious 10 minutes or longer. This was hardly a ‘pop in and go’ situation for these wearers, taking valuable time out of their busy days.

Meanwhile, similar to most studies, discomfort, dry eye, and poor visual performance were all reported in a recent study of 1,540 lens wearers⁴. In fact, they didn’t just report it, they took action and stopped wearing their lenses. As eyecare professionals, we need to do better for our patients.

The smart solution

Smart Touch™ is a game-changing technology that is revolutionizing the way we use contact lenses. More importantly, it’s simplifying life for contact wearers across the globe who want more from their lenses. That’s:

• More convenience. 1% of wearers report³ they have trouble working out if their lenses are inside out. They want an easier, faster solution.
• Improved hygiene. For 17.5% of people, the fear of (or a history of) infection was enough reason for them to stop using contacts.
• A more environmentally friendly product. For 95% of contact lens wearers, their personal environmental impact is ‘important’ or ‘very important’⁵.

So what is Smart Touch™?

This innovative packaging from Menicon is a consumer-driven response, with a ‘flat-pack’ option of approximately 1mm in thickness. This reduction in size has also reduced the amount of plastic used in the lens container by 80% compared to conventional blister packs. This could be why 70% of people in a recent study preferred the Smart Touch™ packaging over their current lens packaging.⁵

Its sleek design also means that Smart Touch™ fits into active lifestyles. The slimline packaging easily slips into bags, wallets, or phone cases. This means there’s plenty of room for both glasses and contact lenses for people on the go.

But Smart Touch™ is more than its packaging

Smart Touch™ has been specifically designed to eliminate frustration for wearers – who will always remove the lens from their packs with the outer surface facing up. This means, there’s no confusion as to which side is the inside. It’s as simple as open, pinch, position and apply.

It’s hygienic too, providing lens wearers with the critical protection they need. This is so important. Especially when we consider the tear film behind the lens may not circulate as much as tears on the outer surface, which can cause an accumulation of germs and debris.

But with Smart Touch™, there’s no need to touch the inside of the lens, which minimizes the risk of infection. Taking a closer look, the potential for contamination of the inner lens surface is around 3-4x less with Smart Touch™ compared to general blister packs.^6-7

Comfortable, clear vision

As well as being hygienic, easy to use and environmentally friendly, most users say the lenses provide excellent vision. They also report high comfort ratings and overall satisfaction, likely due to the soft, smooth, thin material with a low friction and high moisture retaining surface⁸.

This high vision and comfort performance is perfect for active lifestyles. The lenses can also compliment glasses, bringing the best of both worlds, depending on mood and planned activities for the day.

Introducing Miru 1day Menicon Flat Pack

Smart Touch™ technology can be found in the Miru 1day Menicon Flat Pack. Among the many reasons users prefer these lenses over their usual contacts are ‘ease of opening’ ‘no need to check whether the lens is inside-out’ and ‘less spilling’. 83.3% of customers also say that Smart Touch™ feels more hygienic.

The Miru 1day Flat Pack gets outstanding reviews from eyecare professionals too – like Brian Tompkins:

“I truly believe this product is innovative, exciting, and a necessary armament in contact lens practice because of the unique packaging and ease of handling.”

Brian Tompkins, Owner and Optometrist, TK&S Optometrists Ltd

There’s something for everyone with Miru

The Miru 1day Menicon Flat Pack is part of the Miru 1day family. Each lens within the range has been designed to make life easier for its wearer, catering for a wide variety of needs and customers.
The Miru family includes:

• Miru 1day Menicon Flat Pack – spherical lenses of extremely high quality to help promote sharp, clear vision.
• Miru 1day Menicon Flat Pack Toric – offering a unique, bi-aspheric thinner design and Smart Fit technology, which naturally orients the lens no matter which way it’s applied.
• Miru 1day Menicon Flat Pack Multifocal – with its Neuro Adaptive™ Design, the lens offers naturally smooth transitions through near, intermediate, and far viewing. (Miru 1day Menicon Flat Pack Multifocal is not offered in the US.)

Ready to get smart about contacts?

Just like the packaging design itself, the Miru 1day Menicon Flat Pack is the obvious choice for contact lens wearers in your care.

For more information about Smart Touch™ technology and Menicon products visit here.

 

References

1. Sheena Tanna-Shah S, Retallic N. Health and well-being in eye care practice: Riding the emotional rollercoaster of the contact lens journey. Optician, 22 October 2021
2. Jones L, et al. The COVID-19 pandemic: Important considerations for contact lens practitioners. Contact Lens & Anterior Eye, 2020. 43(3): p. 196-203
3. Retallic N, Mabir M. Getting to grips with soft contact lens handling. Optician. 4 February 2022
4. Shehzad A. Naroo, Manbir Nagra, Neil Retallic. Exploring contact lens opportunities for patients above the age of 40 years. Contact Lens and Anterior Eye April 16, 2022 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clae.2022.101599
5. Mojarrad N et al. Performance and environmental perceptions of a novel toric hydrogel contact lens. NCC clinical poster 2022
6. Tan J, et al. Factors Affecting Microbial Contamination on the Back Surface of Worn Soft Contact Lenses. Optom Vis Sci, 2021. 98(5): p. 512-517.
7. Nomachi M, et al. Evaluation of diminished microbial contamination in handling of a novel daily disposable flat pack contact lens. Eye Contact Lens, 2013. 39(3): p. 234-8
8. Menicon data on file 2022

Author

Neil Retallic
Global Professional Services Manager for Menicon

Neil Retallic is currently the Global Professional Services Manager for Menicon and President of the British Contact Lens Association. He is a qualified optician and has worked in various clinical, professional services, academic, charity and industry roles across the optical profession.