 |
 | Home | Contact Us | FAQ | Search & Site Map | Link to Us |
 | Sign In | Join | Other 45 Sites in Network |
Medical Forum / General / Vision / December 2004Aspheric Biomedics 55
I ordered some contacts online using a prescription which is OD -2.75 DIA=14.2 BOZR=8.6 OS -2.25 DIA=14.2 BOZR=8.6 I had ordered Biomedics 55 because that is what I have had for many years. They sent me Biomedics 55, but it is in a flatter box than usual, and it says "Premier" on the box and also "Aspheric". I have never seen the word "Aspheric" before so I am wondering what it is all about, and whether it is safe for me to wear. I've always worn standard Biomedics 55 in the usual box which is less flat than this one, and more square-ish. I have read that aspheric is for people with astigmatism? I know that I used to have mild astigmatism in both eyes, but a few years ago I remember it had gone away in one of my eyes, and had been reduced in the other eye. So I don't think astigmatism is really a problem. David > I ordered some contacts online using a prescription which is > [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] > > David Two issues: If you ordered lenses prescribed as Biometics 55 and they sent instead Biometics Premier, that's illegal, at least in the USA . If you did not provide a doctor's prescription, that is likewise illegal. That issue aside, the Premier Aspheric version is, arguably, a better lens optically, whether or not you have astigmatism. Some people may find the opposite to be true. --LB, O.D. >>I ordered some contacts online using a prescription which is >> [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] > Two issues: If you ordered lenses prescribed as Biometics 55 and they > sent instead Biometics Premier, that's illegal That's good to know. It's hard to communicate with the company because their 1-888 number works only from the USA and I'm from Canada. , at least in the USA . If > you did not provide a doctor's prescription, that is likewise illegal. I was willing to provide my official prescription, but it said that for non-U.S. residents, just fill in XXX for doctor and XXX for doctor's fax number. > That issue aside, the Premier Aspheric version is, arguably, a better > lens optically, whether or not you have astigmatism. Some people may > find the opposite to be true. What exactly do you mean by "some may find the opposite to be true"? What is different between them, and how could someone find them better and others find them worse. Is it a discomfort thing? Why would two people's opinion differ? But it is safe to wear these? Any long term side-effects? Everything else about the prescription matches.  SignatureDavid J. Grant >>I ordered some contacts online using a prescription which is >> [quoted text clipped - 23 lines] > lens optically, whether or not you have astigmatism. Some people may > find the opposite to be true. Will it fit the same? Or should I have refitting? I'm still unsure whether to return them and make an exchange, entailing a 2 week delay, or just open them. I've already opened the cardboard box on one so it's probably too late there. SignatureDavid J. Grant >I ordered some contacts online using a prescription which is > > OD -2.75 DIA=14.2 BOZR=8.6 > OS -2.25 DIA=14.2 BOZR=8.6 This is not a contact lens prescription, a contact lens prescription would include manufacturer and brand name. > I had ordered Biomedics 55 because that is what I have had for many > years. They sent me Biomedics 55, but it is in a flatter box than [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > remember it had gone away in one of my eyes, and had been reduced in > the other eye. So I don't think astigmatism is really a problem. Did the on-line store check with your prescribing doctor; in the US it is required by law? If they had verified your contact lens prescription, they should have sent the correct lenses. The only way to tell if the lenses will work for you is to have your contact lens fitter check them on your eye. Dr Judy >>I ordered some contacts online using a prescription which is >> [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > This is not a contact lens prescription, a contact lens prescription would > include manufacturer and brand name. And my doctor's prescription (which I have in front of me) says "Fitted with: Biomedics 55," "Laboratory: Ocular Sciences." Date of fitting Oct./2004, issued and signed by optometrist 11/17/2004. I ordered Ultraflex 55 online and the picture looked just like my usual Biomedics 55 box. The online dealer says: "According to our information, the manufacturer has changed the brand name and packaging. The lens is now the Biomedics 55 Premier lens." Whatever that means... They are willing to ship the Biomedics 55 standard though. But if there is nothing WRONG with the aspheric lens or significantly different, then why bother returning them? If the difference is as slight as the difference between a Biomedics 55 lens and a Optimedics 55 lens (ie. no difference), then returning them and waiting 2 weeks is a waste of my time. Not to mention the fact that the online dealer is impossible to get a hold of by phone from Canada, and I have no guarantee they'll ever give me the exchange or my money back. I still have one OD and one OS box unopened so I can send those back. >>I had ordered Biomedics 55 because that is what I have had for many >>years. They sent me Biomedics 55, but it is in a flatter box than [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > Did the on-line store check with your prescribing doctor; in the US it is > required by law? I am from Canada and would have provided my doctor's information but they said not to, unless I are from US. Anyways, your statement is beyond the scope of this conversation and off-topic. > If they had verified your contact lens prescription, they > should have sent the correct lenses. I told them Ultraflex 55, then sent me Biomedics 55 Premier (aspherical). What I am asking is: what is the difference? > The only way to tell if the lenses will work for you is to have your contact > lens fitter check them on your eye. I said that I have been using Biomedics 55 for a long time. So that is what fits for me. That's what my doctor prescribes. I'm just wondering about Biomedics 55 Aspheric and how they differ from Biomedics 55 standard. I just tried on the Aspheric since I had already opened the box (when they arrived in the mail, before I noticed they weren't what I was used to) and they feel the same as usual. SignatureDavid J. Grant So let me see if I have this right. You have a written prescription: > And my doctor's prescription (which I have in front of me) says "Fitted > with: Biomedics 55," "Laboratory: Ocular Sciences." Date of fitting > Oct./2004, issued and signed by optometrist 11/17/2004. And you attempt to order a lens based on a picture: > I ordered Ultraflex 55 online and the picture looked just like my usual > Biomedics 55 box. That has a different name in the hope that it's the correct lens and then: >The online dealer says: "According to our > information, the manufacturer has changed the brand name and packaging. > The lens is now the Biomedics 55 Premier lens." Which is actually NOT true. They lied. The sold you what they had in stock. You have Biomedics 55, which is, in fact the same lens as the private label Ultraflex which should be replaced with Biomedics 55 and they send you something different. Clever. But you persist: > > Did the on-line store check with your prescribing doctor; in the US it is > > required by law? > > I am from Canada and would have provided my doctor's information but > they said not to, unless I are from US. And when you tried to get hold of them to ask, you couldn't. Appropriate health care delivery? Yeah, that's right. Wearing of contact lenses is a health issue. > Anyways, your statement is > beyond the scope of this conversation and off-topic. No, it's not. You've just shown the world that ordering contact lenses from someone on-line that doesn't give a damn about (forget the law) doing the right thing creates all sorts of confusion and concerns. Which, in this case, is probably unfounded, But. for other people, it could be a big problem if they received "the deal of the day." > I told them Ultraflex 55, then sent me Biomedics 55 Premier > (aspherical). What I am asking is: what is the difference? > I said that I have been using Biomedics 55 for a long time. So that is > what fits for me. That's what my doctor prescribes. And is there some reason why you shouldn't have what he/she prescribes and that which you know works for you? Isn't that what "prescription" is all about? It's not about: "try this one and see if you like it." --LB, O.D. Hi Larry, According to my Ocular Sciences/Coopervision rep recently on this side of the pond, from early 2005 Biomedics 55 will NOT be available in the standard form it will ONLY be in the aspheric form. Whether this is happening with you I don't know. Regards Ian Hodgson _ Isle of Man > So let me see if I have this right. You have a written prescription: > [quoted text clipped - 49 lines] > > --LB, O.D. > Hi Larry, > [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > Whether this is happening with you I don't know. Thanks, Ian. I kind of assumed that would be the case. Here, the old version has been "sold" as "private label" lenses under a variety of names by the mass marketing retail lens sellers. They offer us docs the "new and improved" Premium Aspheric version. Do you have any idea about the OS/Cooper silicone hydrogel? I hear rumors (or rumours ;-) about Spring 2005, just it time for the return of Purevision on this side of the pond. You folks get all the good stuff before we do, so perhaps you might know! Regards, Larry Hi Larry, . > Do you have any idea about the OS/Cooper silicone hydrogel? I hear > rumors (or rumours ;-) about Spring 2005, just it time for the return > of Purevision on this side of the pond. It may have been mentioned but I was more interested in the change in the 55 and the amalgamation between the two companies ie just when does my account get cocked up when the accounting systems come together! > You folks get all the good stuff before we do, so perhaps you might know! Glad we're sometimes ahead of the Good O'le US of A it gets boring the number of times we get told 'they must have better in the States' :) Regards Ian > So let me see if I have this right. You have a written prescription > [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > And you attempt to order a lens based on a picture: Yes, I said it matched the picture but I did not say I ordered it "based on a picture" ONLY. It was called Ultraflex 55 and it said that it was identical to the Biomedics 55. Which it is. > > I ordered Ultraflex 55 online and the picture looked just like my usual > > Biomedics 55 box. [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > Which is actually NOT true. They lied. The sold you what they had in > stock. True. If I order a Biomedics 55 or equivalent lens and they are out of stock, and give me another lens which is equivalent, then I see no problem with that. > You have Biomedics 55, which is, in fact the same lens as the > private label Ultraflex which should be replaced with Biomedics 55 and > they send you something different. No so different. I ordered Biomedics/Ultraflex 55 (same thing) and they sent me Biomedics 55 Premier. You still haven't answered me what the difference is between the two lenses with any scientific data or facts, although you purport that they are "different" and that I was given the wrong lenses. Perhaps not the EXACT lens I ordered but maybe it is no so different, that I can keep them rather than doing an exchange. > Clever. But you persist: > [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > And when you tried to get hold of them to ask, you couldn't. Appropriate > health care delivery? No, but appropriate enough for a business. Businesses don't have to act "appropriately." And in the U.S., private health care is common, so clearly health care is not always delivered appropriately either. Buying contacts is not heath care delivery. It was a customer making a business transaction. "Buyer beware." > Yeah, that's right. Wearing of contact lenses is > a health issue. Sure, but so is buying contact solution from the drug store and I've done some damage in that respect in the past by using the wrong solution. I don't understand your argument that it is a health issue...so what? Optometrists can screw up too. Errors are not confined to the world of internet shopping. > > Anyways, your statement is > > beyond the scope of this conversation and off-topic. [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > Which, in this case, is probably unfounded, But. for other people, it > could be a big problem if they received "the deal of the day." True. Do I stand on a soap box and tell people to buy contacts on the internet? I tried ordering my contacts online because I've been using this contact for over 5 years and had a 33% savings with the great US-CAD exchange rate. I was not shipped an entirely different contact. But I will buy again, and next time I will try to get spherical unless my optometrist says that it doesn't matter. And I WILL be going to the optometrist before then as I am due for a biannual full eye health exam. > > I told them Ultraflex 55, then sent me Biomedics 55 Premier > > (aspherical). What I am asking is: what is the difference? [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > And is there some reason why you shouldn't have what he/she prescribes > and that which you know works for you? No, I should have what he prescribed for me, which was Biomedics 55, as per my prescription dated November 2004. They shipped me Biomedics 55 with a little bonus thing called "aspherical." I'm just trying to get to the bottom of what aspherical means. Hey, maybe my old ones were "aspherical" before as well, but that it just wasn't written on the box. Or maybe aspherical is just a marketting gadget and all lenses are really aspherical. Clearly all lenses in the world are aspherical because you can never make a perfect sphere (you can only make one to some precision). > Isn't that what "prescription" is all about? It's not about: "try this > one and see if you like it." It kind of is "try this one and see if you like it." You should have seen what I went through when I first got contacts and my optometrist was trying out all sorts of RGP lenses. Every week he'd give me some new trial lens to try out. Clearly fitting lenses is not rocket science and having the wrong lens in your eye for a week is not life-threatening or vision-threatening. I've done more damage to my eye with Visine alone than I have in 10 years of wearing contacts. If you want to hear more about what I think of Visine, that's a whole other story. Well, those were trials no prescriptions so I'm comparing apples and oranges. OK. One more time, Dave. > If I order a Biomedics 55 or equivalent lens and they are out > of stock, and give me another lens which is equivalent, then I see no > problem with that. Well I do. You should get what you order and the only person who is justified in altering that order is your doctor, not you and not some stock clerk. > I ordered Biomedics/Ultraflex 55 (same thing) and > they sent me Biomedics 55 Premier. You still haven't answered me what > the difference is between the two lenses with any scientific data or > facts, although you purport that they are "different" and that I was > given the wrong lenses. I wrote, if you look at my post, that the aspheric version is for many people a superior product. That means a better choice. You lucked out. Some people aren't so lucky with the stock clerk's choice. > > And when you tried to get hold of them to ask, you couldn't. Appropriate > > health care delivery? > > No, but appropriate enough for a business. Businesses don't have to > act "appropriately." And in the U.S., private health care is common, > so clearly health care is not always delivered appropriately either. It doesn't matter if it's Canada, U.S. or anywhere else. No one has the right to act to inappropriately and it is not acceptable to screw up health care delivery. It's sad that people are getting so used to being screwed that they accept it and feel special when things go right. > Buying contacts is not heath care delivery. It was a customer making > a business transaction. "Buyer beware." So you're back to it's OK for businesses (and I include health care providers) to act irresponsibly. > > Yeah, that's right. Wearing of contact lenses is > > a health issue. [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > issue...so what? Optometrists can screw up too. Errors are not > confined to the world of internet shopping. And it is still not acceptable to screw up or to take advantage of the fact that people are accepting that scew-ups are just part of doing business. > > And is there some reason why you shouldn't have what he/she prescribes > > and that which you know works for you? [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > the box. Or maybe aspherical is just a marketting gadget and all > lenses are really aspherical. As I made clear, aspheric is actually a better optical design. Usually, but not always. The trick is, the eccentricity value (the degree of flattening from center to the edge) creates different optical attributes and what is good for you might not be so for someone else. It's not a marketing gimmick, it is a positive selling attribute. Again, for most people, depending upon the degree of aspheric optics. (And, by the way, that also applies to spectacle lenses.) > It kind of is "try this one and see if you like it." You should have > seen what I went through when I first got contacts and my optometrist > was trying out all sorts of RGP lenses. Every week he'd give me some > new trial lens to try out. Clearly fitting lenses is not rocket > science and having the wrong lens in your eye for a week is not > life-threatening or vision-threatening. No, it is not rocket science, but it is physical science and has very specific, measurable physiological consequences---even when fitted correctly. And you are wrong. Improperly fitted contact lenses can indeed compromise the health of the cornea and can indeed cause vision-threatening cellular disruption and infection. Most often it hurts enough that the wearer responds to the pain or discomfort before there is permanent damage. But not always. Bad things do happen. And it doesn't have to be that way. > I've done more damage to my > eye with Visine alone than I have in 10 years of wearing contacts. I wouldn't be proud of that. OK. I'm done. Good luck to you. --LB, O.D. > I ordered Ultraflex 55 online and the picture looked just like my usual > Biomedics 55 box. The online dealer says: "According to our information, > the manufacturer has changed the brand name and packaging. The lens is now > the Biomedics 55 Premier lens." Have a look at: http://www.revoptom.com/index.asp?page=2_1233.htm. This states that "During the redesign of the Biomedics 55 lens, the manufacturer added the asphericity only on the front surface but left the base curve the same. "Therefore, Biomedics Premiere fits the same as Biomedics 55" Biomedics 55 Premier (CooperVision/Ocular Sciences Inc.) Type: A soft disposable, aspheric lens that corrects for spherical aberration in both the lens and the eye, allowing for clearer vision. Unlike its predecessor, the Biomedics 55 spherical lens, the edges of the Biomedics 55 Premier are rounded. Why use this lens: Gregory Forsyth, O.D., of Raleigh, N.C., helped conduct some preclinical trials. He says the lens offers better acuity than the previous Biomedics 55 to patients with low amounts of against-the-rule astigmatism. Although patients did not complain of discomfort with the prior lens, they reported im-proved comfort with the Premier version, Dr. Forsyth says. During the redesign of the Biomedics 55 lens, the manufacturer added the asphericity only on the front surface but left the base curve the same. "Therefore, Biomedics Premiere fits the same as Biomedics 55," Dr. Forsyth says. Prescription range: -10.00D to +6.00D in (0.50 steps). Base curves: 8.6mm, 8.9mm Diameter: 14.2mm. Wear schedule: Approved for daily and extended wear. > > I ordered Ultraflex 55 online and the picture looked just like my usual > > Biomedics 55 box. The online dealer says: "According to our information, [quoted text clipped - 25 lines] > Diameter: 14.2mm. > Wear schedule: Approved for daily and extended wear. Thank you James, the factual information you have provided concerning these lenses is refreshing. Whereas other people were more than happy to point out what is wrong with ordering lenses over the Internet whilst ignoring the main crux of my post, you either knew about these lenses already or you took the time to research them. This is good news, 1) that these contacts fit the same as the standard Biomedics 55, and also 2) that there are people out there who can ignore for one second that I ordered these lenses over the Internet and provide an intelligent answer. |
Reply to this Message |
 Sign In
 Join
 My Latest Posts My Monitored Threads My Blog My Photo Gallery My Profile My Homepage Start New Thread Enable EMail Alerts Rate this Thread
|
©2008 Advenet LLC Privacy Policy - Terms of Use
This website includes both content owned or controlled by Advenet as well as content owned or controlled by third parties.