Standard

Posted: 03/17/08

R State Standard         £ Institutionally Developed          College: N/A

OPD 111 – Soft Contact Lenses

Course Description

This course introduces students to soft contact lens fitting techniques. Emphasis is placed on fitting trial and prescribed lenses. Topics include: lens selection; inspection and verification; fitting guidelines and regulations; follow-up care; lens care and storage; and fitting specialty soft contact lenses.

Competency Areas

Hours

Lens Selection

Class

2

Inspection and Verification

D. Lab

4

Fitting Guidelines and Regulations

P. Lab/O.B.I.

6

Follow-Up Care

Credit

6

Lens Care and Storage

 

 

Fitting Specialty Soft Contact Lenses

 

 

 

Prerequisite:

OPD 108

Corequisite:

 

 

Course Guide

 

Competency

After completing this section, the student will be able to:

Hours

Class

D.Lab

P.Lab/

O.B.I.

LENS SELECTION

2

4

6

Methods

Name the selection methods used for soft contact lenses.

 

 

 

 

Contrast the advantages and disadvantages of each soft contact lens selection method.

 

 

 

Source of trials

Describe the ways of maintaining a trial lens for soft contact lens selection.

 

 

 

 

Contrast the advantages and disadvantages of various methods of maintaining a trial soft contact lens.

 

 

 

 

Discuss the number and power range of trial soft contact lenses maintained at the clinic for use in initial selection.

 

 

 

INSPECTION AND VERIFICATION

6

8

12

Diameter

Describe the methods of verifying the lens diameter of soft contact lenses.

 

 

 

 

Compare accuracy and ease of measuring a lathe-cut gel soft contact lens with a spin-cast lens.

 

 

 

 

Measure the diameter of a soft contact lens.

 

 

 

Posterior curve

Describe the methods of verifying the posterior curve of soft contact lenses.

 

 

 

 

Compare accuracy and ease of various methods used to measure the posterior curve of soft contact lenses.

 

 

 

 

Measure the posterior curve of a soft contact lens.

 

 

 

Refractive power

Describe the methods used to measure the refractive power of a soft contact lens.

 

 

 

 

Compare and contrast the various methods of measuring the refractive power of a soft contact lens.

 

 

 

 

Measure the refractive power of a soft contact lens.

 

 

 

Surface inspection

Describe the procedure for performing a surface inspection of a soft contact lens.

 

 

 

 

Inspect the surface of a soft contact lens.

 

 

 

Lens water content

Name the instrument used to determine water content of a soft contact lens.

 

 

 

 

Describe the procedure for measuring the water content of a soft contact lens.

 

 

 

 

Measure the water content of a soft contact lens.

 

 

 

FITTING GUIDELINES AND REGULATIONS

6

8

12

Patient evaluation

Discuss patient characteristics which indicate successful wear of contact lenses.

 

 

 

 

Discuss patient characteristics which indicate possible problems from the wear of soft contact lenses.

 

 

 

Advantages of soft lenses

Give examples of lifestyles that favor successful wear of soft contact lenses.

 

 

 

Three-point touch

Discuss the parameters of soft contact lenses that favor establishing three-point touch.

 

 

 

Lens size

State the general rule for determining the lens diameter for a specific customer.

 

 

 

Tight lens

Describe the technique used to identify a tight fitting soft contact lens.

 

 

 

 

Discuss the corrective procedures for a tight fitting soft contact lens.

 

 

 

Loose lens

Describe the technique used to identify a loose fitting soft contact lens.

 

 

 

 

Discuss the corrective procedures for a loose fitting soft contact lens.

 

 

 

 

Describe the use of the retinoscope reflex method of identifying a loose fitting soft contact lens.

 

 

 

 

Insertion/removal

 

 

 

 

Describe the technique used by a fitter when inserting a customer's soft contact lens.

 

 

 

 

Describe the soft contact lens insertion technique the fitter recommends to customers.

 

 

 

Taco test

Describe the purpose and procedure of the taco test.

 

 

 

Regulations

Discuss the federal regulations which govern the dispensing of soft contact lenses.

 

 

 

 

Discuss the purpose and coverage areas of The American National Standards Institute Z80.

 

 

 

 

Discuss the soft contact lens dispensing standards established by professional agencies and associations.

 

 

 

 

Discuss the soft contact lens dispensing regulations and standards established by the Georgia State Board of Dispensing Opticians.

 

 

 

 

State the conditions for obtaining a license to dispense soft contact lenses in Georgia.

 

 

 

FOLLOW-UP CARE

6

8

12

Emergency procedures

Train the customer in appropriate emergency responses to soft contact lens insertion and removal problems.

 

 

 

Routine lens hygiene

Train the customer in the selection of specific care solutions for soaking, wetting, lubricating, disinfecting, and cleaning soft contact lenses.

 

 

 

 

Train the customer in "after removal" cleaning procedures for soft contact lenses.

 

 

 

 

Provide soft contact lens customer with a written list of symptoms and problems and the recommended actions.

 

 

 

Protocols

Describe the follow-up protocols for various types of soft contact lenses.

 

 

 

 

Describe the follow-up protocols for various types of soft contact lens customers.

 

 

 

 

Schedule follow-up visits compatible with customer physiology and type of soft contact lens.

 

 

 

Screening data

Obtain, record, and interpret soft contact lens vision screening data.

 

 

 

Slit lamp techniques

Use slit lamp techniques, with and without fluorescein, to determine adequacy of fit for soft contact lens.

 

 

 

LENS CARE AND STORAGE

3

4

6

Disinfection

Name the methods used to disinfect soft contact lenses.

 

 

 

 

Describe the steps involved in the heat method of disinfecting soft contact lenses.

 

 

 

 

Describe the chemical method of disinfecting soft contact lenses.

 

 

 

 

Discuss customer's symptoms resulting from improper soft contact lens disinfecting.

 

 

 

Cleaning solutions

Discuss the sources of foreign deposits on soft contact lenses.

 

 

 

 

Name the types of cleaners used to remove various deposits from soft contact lenses.

 

 

 

 

Describe the procedure for using surfactants to remove deposits from soft contact lenses.

 

 

 

 

Describe the procedure for using enzymes to remove deposits from soft contact lenses.

 

 

 

 

Describe the procedure for using oxidants to remove deposits from soft contact lenses.

 

 

 

 

Describe the procedure for using abrasives to remove deposits from soft contact lenses.

 

 

 

 

Describe the procedure for using solvents to remove deposits from soft contact lenses.

 

 

 

Accessory solutions

Discuss the benefits and limitations of using soft contact lens accessory solutions.

 

 

 

 

Instruct the customer in the proper use of soft contact lens accessory solutions.

 

 

 

Solution contamination

Describe the factors involved in contamination of soft contact lens solutions.

 

 

 

 

Discuss the importance of proper instruction in the use of soft contact lens solutions as a contamination preventative.

 

 

 

 

Describe methods of contamination prevention for bottled solutions used in contact lens care and storage.

 

 

 

FITTING  SPECIALITY SOFT CONTACT LENSES

6

8

12

Goals

Describe the goals of fitting soft contact bandage lenses.

 

 

 

Types

Discuss the availability of bandage style soft contact lenses as to diameter, base curve, power range, and water content.

 

 

 

Indications for wear

Define recurrent erosion as it applies to the cornea.

 

 

 

 

Name the conditions which indicate erosion of the cornea.

 

 

 

 

Describe how bandage style soft contact lenses are used to offset erosion of the cornea.

 

 

 

 

Name the common causes of corneal edema which leads to bullous keratopathy.

 

 

 

 

Describe how bandage style soft contact lenses are used to treat the condition of bullous keratopathy.

 

 

 

 

Describe the condition of trichiasis and the use of bandage style soft contact lenses for its treatment.

 

 

 

 

Describe the use of a bandage style soft contact lens to protect the eye from lid sutures.

 

 

 

 

Describe the abnormal conditions of the cornea which are indications for treatment with bandage soft contact lenses.

 

 

 

 

Discuss the procedures for matching a specific bandage soft contact lens to a specific disease.

 

 

 

Fitting

Describe the method used to fit a bandage style soft contact lens.

 

 

 

 

Instruct the customer in the proper wear of a bandage style soft contact lens.

 

 

 

Contraindications

Describe the indications which limit or prohibit the use of bandage style soft contact lenses.

 

 

 

Complications

Discuss the treatments used for complications arising from bandage style soft contact lens wear.

 

 

 

 

Suggested Resources

 

Mandell, R. B. (1988). Contact Lens Practice (4th ed.). Springfield, IL: Charles C. Thomas.

Soper, J. W., et al. (1984). Adverse Effects of Contact Lens Wear: An Atlas for Ophthalmic Practitioners. horofare, NJ: Slack.

Stein & Slatt. (1988). Ophthalmic assistant: Fundamentals and Clinical Practice (5th ed.). St. Louis: Mosby.

Stein & Slatt. (1990). Fitting Guide for Rigid and Soft Contact Lenses (3rd ed.). St. Louis: Mosby.