In 2019 was the US launch of the ULTRA Multifocal for Astigmatism contact lenses, a multifocal toric lens available and offered as a standard offering to meet the needs of many patients with both astigmatism and presbyopia.
The monthly gel lens was developed to fit the lifestyle and vision requirements of these patients. In order to respond to both vision issues, the lens incorporates the 3-Zone Progressive multifocal design with the OpticAlign toric design for presbyopia, thus catering to near, intermediate and far ranges in the same contact lens. The silicone gel lenses are especially designed for optimum comfort, outstanding visual quality and stability, and efficient fitting.
Astigmatism can be caused either by an irregularly-shaped cornea or because of the curvature of the lens inside the eye, causing obscured vision. Astigmatism lenses are the second biggest segment in contact lenses as well as comprise of almost one-third of all grownups age 40 years or over, presently using some sort of vision modification.
“ULTRA Multifocal for Astigmatism contact lenses are the conclusion of multifocal and toric contact lens design efforts resulting in this cutting-edge technology offering and also a direct outcome of the feedback from providers who have been desiring a brand-new contact lens option for their patients with both astigmatism and presbyopia – patients who have been previously challenged because of a lack of convenient lens options,” stated a company official in a press release.
Presbyopia is a normal loss of near focusing capability that occurs with age. As people age, their eyes’ lenses do not change shape as quickly to focus at varying distances, leading to a deteriorated ability to concentrate on near objects. Most people lose some capability to focus on near objects by age 40.
Despite an approximated 32 million patients in the United States with both astigmatism and presbyopia, those individuals were formerly restricted to custom-made lenses, monovision, readers, or total contact lens drop out. All of these choices would still leave the wearer with challenged vision; however, the ULTRA Multifocal for Astigmatism lenses are developed to fill up that demand. This lens is one of the first to offer a solution to this considerable unmet demand in the vision market, according to the manufacturer.
These lenses also enable eye care professionals to fit people with diagnostic lenses during their first visit, instead of requiring a follow-up visit as was essential with custom-made lenses. With the ULTRA Multifocal for Astigmatism lenses as a standard offering, eye care professionals can offer patients a broad range of parameters from +4.00 to -6.00 D in the same contact lenses, with two add powers as well as three cylinders of astigmatism correction.