The Optical Vision Site

Eye On Digital Signage Product Comparisons- Things To Know

You see Digital Signage everyplace, at the Gas Station, at the grocery store, at the Bank, because digital signage sells products. (I know, last time at the gas station, I bought a cup of coffee which I never do!). It’s hard not to know which system could be right for you. Paul Salsberg over at EyeStarTV wanted to improve their digital Signage program to be the best and most cost-effective digital signage program, and wanted to develop a program that answers any questions the eyecare professional would have. So he commissioned a respected writer , Michelle Vessel  BA and an MA,  more than a 10 yrs freelance experience in corporate, academic, and journalism settings, from local companies to  NASA, Microsoft, Penske, and Novell) to do a blind evaluation of a few various signage systems to write a fair, unbiased piece on Eyecare Digital Signage Systems. The results are below, and if you would like a larger copy, please feel to email us and we can email the HTML version or contact Paul Salsberg directly at psalsberg@3conx.com>

Sharp VA Visual Acuity System- Engages Patients and Creates Wow!

Sharp VA Visual Acuity System

I never thought much about wowing the customer with Visual Acuity Systems until last week when I took my neighbor to the ophthalmologist and I looked at his system. You know what I thought ‘ This guy is charging so much and his exam room is yukky and the Visual Acuity system was old and yellowed’- I was questioning whether he was updated and knew what he was doing!

Therefore we are proud to announce that Sharp VA Visual Acuity Systems has signed as sponsors and their tagline is ‘The WOW Factor Starts Here’. How does the customer/patient get wowed you ask! In today’s times patients want and demand the newest technology, just by having a variety of screens to choose from keeps them interested and engaged in the whole eye exam experience. By a button push you can offer charts with  cartoons, low vision charts, contrast sensitivity, astigmatic and macular charts,  plus it’s easy to go from testing to patient education with one program. What I like is the patient education part, so many times Eye Docs are rushed and don’t spend the time to educate the patient on what is going on in the eyeball. With another tap on a button you can interact and show you care about your patients eye health by the educational videos, high resolution photos and animations. That’s What I Call Wowing The Customer! I wish this MD last week would have had a system like this instead of a torn picture of an eyeball and a dingy Acuity System.

Does it work? Graham McPartland is an Optometric Physician and knows what you need in the exam room but it’s not just him, the Sharp VA system for designed by Eye Docs for Eye Docs!  Plus in 2008 and 2009 the Sharp VA digital acuity software was validated through research at the Southern California College of Optometry.  The study showed that the mean visual acuity and test-retest repeatability was not significantly different between the Sharp VA digital acuity software and the gold standard ETDRS charts!

And here is the really good news- they offer FREE STUFF! Patient Educations (photos, videos, animation) is free. Custom Service and Tech support is Free. The system also comes with a SharpVA Remote Control, to save you time in the exam room and and allow the Eye Doc to move freely.

Guess what else - Sharp VA has visual acuity software for PC’s and Mac’s!  If you are a Mac lover like myself, you should be ectastic, because it is so hard to find business programs for both Macs and PC’s. Kudos to Sharp VA!

Wanna Try? You can either visit Sharp VA Website and even demo it live on your computer. Plus, they offer a price match guarantee with any other programs with comparable features. And yes there is more this purchase also qualifies you for an ADA tax credit.

Lots of whistles and bells and the benefit to you the Eye Doc, wow patients, improve exam productivity, save with tax credits- what more could you ask for!

Super Optical Astounds Us Again- Check Out Their Valentine!

We just love John Corsini, over at Fast Grind International who again demonstrates a great sense of humor and a creative side of his personality. Don’t you just love his Valentine Day Card!!

Super Optical All In One Lab Equipment

For those who don’t know, The Fast Grind surfacing machine is meant for smaller offices who want to save money, time and exceed eyecare customer expectations. This machine has been around for about 15-16 years and lasts because all you need is the software for updates v.s. the traditional edger which might have to be replaced every 5 or 6 years. That means it is never obsolete! (Saving even more money and the environment)

If you are like me, you might think this is an edger- IT IS NOT- it is a lens surfacer, it is the only piece of equipment you will need to provide digital quality lenses including progressive lenses for your patients for about $14.00 a pair. How difficult is it to use? John told me about one of his customers who has his 12 year old daughter come in after school to surface the lenses. I figure if a 12 year old can do it, than I who can barely screw in a lightbulb could do it as well. The training takes 1 hour over the phone- great for us ADD, type A personalities.

What I think: for your ‘in a rush’, I can get my glasses in an hour’ patients, this machine can provide a wonderful opportunity of UNDER PROMISING AND OVER DELIVERING’. Tell the patients you can get in a week, and deliver their new eyewear in a day, for the rushed, emergency patients, you can get it to them within an hour. How great is that! Talk about Wowing the customer!

Space being a huge issue, because every square foot of your office should be generating a profit- all you need is a 2 x2 foot space to place this surfacing machine. According to John, the average profit potential is an addition $26,000 per year, and extra $2000/ month of profit!

Where do the lenses come from, you ask- they send them to you already blocked- no need to fiddle around and stock that blocking stuff, it comes in already blocked! Check out their lens supply , Transition and Kodak lenses as well.

Super Optical/Fast Grind International will be at SECO and Vision Expo, so you can also check them out there or even order online.

For more information visit www.superoptical.com or to  Request Information:http://www.superoptical.com/requestform.php.

This is what I know- We love John’s Valentine Day Card, we loved his reindeer decorated surfacer and I hope he will continue to send in more!

Santinelli Sales Meeting In Florida

A Few of the Santinelli Sales Team Working on Team Building

The retail sales team of Santinelli International, the exclusive NIDEK lens edger distributor in the U.S., converged for its annual National Sales Meeting in South Florida in early January. The focus of the meeting was new product review, advanced product training, and the development of strategies to increase our clients’ profitability and satisfaction with regard to In-Office Finishing (IOF). The event also provided an opportunity to recognize the company’s top territory sales managers for their outstanding performances in 2009, as well as participate in fun team-building activities.

According to Rick Clemente, Executive Vice President of Sales & Client Service, “Recognizing that many eyecare practitioners are thriving thanks to IOF, we’re more enthusiastic than ever about communicating the Santinelli lens edger ‘success formula’ to the industry at large.

Barbara Wagner and Adrienne Lauro

Adapting this formula will assure bottom line profitability within their practice, especially during turbulent times”.

Eco Friendly Lab Equipment Saves Money and Environment

Totally Optical ( visioncareproducts.com) wrote this great article on Eco Friendly Lab equipment! The optical industry is a little behind in the green, eco eyecare movement, and it’s good to know that lab equipment is catching up. What is even better, our sponsor are some of the eyecare suppliers that offer eco friendly options!

‘It seems as if the entire business world is going green these days. A good example is the auto industry with innovative products like Toyota’s Prius and the Tesla Roadster, among other vehicles that use alternative sources of fuel. So where is optical in this brave new world? Unfortunately, we are pretty far back in the pack compared to other industries, but we’re starting to stir and showing eagerness toward doing our part. Perhaps the term “eco-optical” best suits this new frontier.

CONSUMABLES

One area that has some low-hanging fruit is consumables—and we use a lot of them: coolants, polishes, dyes, coatings, and many others. Most suppliers of lens dyeing materials now use biodegradable dyes, neutralizers, and heat transfer fluids. For example, Lab-Tech, Inc. provides non-toxic, non-flammable, and biodegradable Heat Transfer Fluid and the Magic Green Ultrasonic Cleaning Solution that is also biodegradable and safe for coatings and frames. Practical Systems Inc. (PSI) offers a variety of non-toxic products including PractiCool, a fully synthetic, water-based coolant that is non-foaming, non-irritating, and pleasant smelling; and Quick Clear Neutralizer, which re-moves color from plastic, high-index, and polycarbonate lenses. And according to Phantom Research Laboratories, Inc., it has reduced the amount of power needed to run its Super Tinter line of machines to one of the lowest compared to its competitors in the U.S.

Lens blocking, especially in the surface lab, has always been problematic with its use of metal alloys, some of which can be

hazardous. Gerber Coburn improved on this with its Step One wax blocking system, and now has introduced a proprietary blocking material called OnyxBond™. This product, used in Gerber Coburn’s E2G Blocker, eliminates the need for alloys of any sort and removes the lens cleaning issues associated with wax blocking. The material is placed back into the blocker where it is re-melted and used.

Satisloh is taking a different approach to some blocking issues. Although it is currently limited to the company’s automated production platform, the new system called Nucleo applies a clear plastic block on the lens

front using a patented spatial blocking technique and a new alloy-free organic adhesive media.

GRINDING

The water in Super Systems’ Fast Grind can be reused.

Somewhere between the surface lab and finish area is the in-office grinding system. In this category, the “eco-winner” is arguably the Fast Grind machine from Super Systems Optical. The only coolant used with the Fast Grind process is water, which can be reclaimed and reused. Super Systems provides pre-blocked lenses that are surfaced in your office with unique diamond-impregnated pads. According to Super Systems, these pads can be used for up to 400 applications before they need to be replaced. It’s an easy and eco-friendly way to surface lenses in the office.

EDGING

One of the newer edger systems to enter the market is Briot USA’s Alta Pro edger. The company reports that water consumption is reduced to about one-third the average per lens processed on other edgers. Alta Pro also features a high-speed motor and an edging wheel dedicated to high curvature lenses (Tilted Bevel System). It provides speed and accuracy for finishing popular frame designs—all in an environmentally friendly process. For more information, see Equipment New Product Gallery – Nov/Dec 2009.

FINISHING

The finishing area is also getting some needed attention. AIT Industries has an Air Purification product that can connect to its entire of line of equipment as well as all other competitive wet edgers in the market to eliminate the strong odor associated with edging high-index lenses and dramatically reduce the amount of dust that accumulates in an in-office edging environment. The new AIR Mini, a compact air purifier, works with AIT edgers and most other edgers including those from WECO, NIDEK Inc., Essilor of America, Inc., INDO Lens US Inc., and Briot USA. This device extracts the air directly out of the edger, filters it using a high-reactive broadband filter that removes dust, smoke, and odors; and deposits any coarse dust into a holding tank.

Santinelli’s Lfu 220 tank and pump hybrid system uses centrifugal filtration technology to decrease water consumption.

Santinelli International, Inc.’s Lfu 220 tank and pump hybrid system for its edgers uses centrifugal filtration technology that, according to the company, drastically decreases water consumption. This system

essentially separates the lens waste from the water, allowing for clean water circulation while lowering water consumption. After processing about 130 to 160 lenses, the waste is filtered out and compacted into a single solid mass that is disposed of easily, keeping the edger chamber clean along with the surrounding areas of the edger and the tank.

When it’s time to mount a finished lens into a plastic frame, Western Optical Supply’s Hot Box Frame Warmer is just the thing to do it with. It has been reworked with additional insulation and continues to have adjustable heat settings for precise temperature control and reduced energy use.

Optical may not have come up with something as exciting as Tesla’s new all-electric roadster, but judging from our first efforts in this area and knowing the innovative and technical expertise that exists in our industry, it’s just a matter of time.

Larry Guess is a consultant to the optical industry and designer of new optical tools.

Find Eco Friendly Lab Suppliers Here

• Santinelli International, Inc. 800-644-3343 • santinelli.com
• Super Systems Optical 800-543-7376 • superoptical.com
• Vision Systems – 866-934-1030 www.patternless.com- offers new and used equipment of the above listed companies.

Optical Specialists Offers ‘Acuity With A Vision’

Beyond Acuity

I’m tooling around Vision Expo in the equipment area and run across Bill Schwartz of Optical Specialists and we get to talking about everything he does and plus Visual Acuity Systems. It is very obvious to me that Bill loves equipment and technology. He fixes ophthalmic equipment for therapy, he does digital signage, he is into technology and he loves what he does. It is so great to meet someone who genuinely loves equipment, because quite frankly I can barely screw in a lightbulb!

That said Optical Specialists is our Newest Sponsor! The primary product Bill offers is a line of Acuity Systems from $495- $1995. We all know how important an acuity system is, I mean how else can you give an eye exam?

Beyond Acuity: ($1995)Can be used from 4-29 feet and is reversible for mirrored rooms. No computer is needed. Comes with lots of bells and whistles, including a custom patient presentation, children fixation animation, movie player, sequential advancement, stereo sound, and it’s portable.

Simply Acuity

Simply Acuity: ($995) Offers 3 optotypes, speciality tests, sleep mode, remote control, portable adn reversible for mirrored rooms. It is easy to install.

Basic Acuity: ($495) Windows compatible software packages that you just add to your computer

Basic Acuity

And remember the end of the year is coming up fast, tax deductions, tax deductions and more tax deductions, so give Bill a call, he always has his cell phone with him, I know he would love to speak with you.  Oh and if you live in Oregon and need someone to fix your equipment, give Bill a call, he loves fixing equipment.

Reindeer Decorated Optical Lab Equipment By Fast Grind International

John Corsini at Super Systems- Fast Grind International sent us this very fun reindeer decor  for their Fast Grind all in one lens surfacing optical lab equipment. It was my first laugh of the day!  Note the red nose and antlers. Very clever!

Santinelli International Joins the Optical Vision Site.com

We are very happy to announce that Santinelli International is now a sponsor of www.theopticalvisionsite.com. Most of you probably know the name Santinelli and that the company is in the edging and optical equipment side of the eyecare business. Some of you might know Gerard Santinelli as he is a member of the famous EyeRock Band and you have seen and heard him play those drums!   But Santinelli is about a lot more than equipment so let’s start with a little Company History.

As the only family-owned and -operated company in the lens edging equipment industry, Santinelli International has been dedicated to helping Eyecare Professionals grow their businesses for 35 years. With an unmatched commitment to advanced technology and the strongest client service available, Santinelli International maintains a leadership position in lens finishing. It’s a tradition  embraced since Santinelli forbearer Arthur LeMay invented the bevel edger more than fifty years ago. The website makes the following statement “Dedicated to the Needs of the Lens Finishing Industry !”

The company offers Retail edgers, Industrial Edgers and Robotics, Blockers, Tracers, Software, Optical Supplies & Ancillary products and services. Please go to the website for more information as there are many products and services that cannot be covered here. Cathy and I have both been wearing the polarized magnetic Chemestrie sunlenses which we got at Vision Expo East this year. Just one of the many innovative products available from Santinelli with their software Click Mode and edgers.

You might want to take advantage of Santinelli’s Awesome Autumn Trade-In Promotion going on right now. Here are the details:

• Preferred Pricing
• 0% Financing
• 2nd Year Equipment Protection Plan
• 75% Discount on All Electro-Mechanical Parts
• 10% Discount on All Consumable Items
• Flat Rate for Onsite Service (based on location)
• 56-point inspection includes a thorough lens edger cleaning, calibrations, adjustments, and lubrications to keep your machine running at its optimal level