DO July 2011 LPL_1 17/06/2011 09:55 Page 1 dispensingoptics Dispensing Optics PO Box 233, Crowborough TN6 9BD Telephone: 01892 667626 Fax: 01892 667626 Email: [email protected] 25th Anniversary Website: www.abdo.org.uk July 2011 1986 - 2011 DO July 2011 LPL_1 17/06/2011 09:55 Page 2 DO July 2011 LPL_1 17/06/2011 09:55 Page 3 3 dispensingoptics CONTENTS Cover point July 2011 3 Cover point by Tony Garrett to extend these so as to be able to 4 Continuing Education and offer more practical help and support. Training So if you want to learn more give Katie Are electronic devices finally Docker a call on 01227 733912. superseding traditional optical LVAs? by Jane Macnaughton and Taraneh Getting involved Eliasieh Over the past few months I have spoken to a number of members who 10 Frequently asked questions are taking an active part on their by Kim Devlin LOCs. This is particularly encouraging as it is essential that the voice of DOs is heard when discussions and 12 Patient and practice negotiations are taking place management regarding local commissioning. Clearly From browser to buyer this is of importance to practice by Antonia Chitty owners but also to many others as Getting started well, whether it be as a low vision 14 President’s Consultation Day In this month’s Disjointed jottings Gillian practitioner or practice manager. Busy agenda at President’s Twyning gives an interesting and Consultation Day encouraging account about starting However, it is clear that in some areas up her own practice (see page 37). DOs are not represented. This needs to 20 Low vision Gillian is one of the new generation of be urgently addressed and we will be Low vision, depression and the entrepreneurial dispensing opticians making efforts centrally to ensure not effect of counselling who has not only set herself up in just better representation, but better by Lizzie Bartlam business but who has also already informed representation. played an active role within the 24 BCLA news Association. She is a great role model Through LOCSU, LOCs are getting BCLA 2011 hits the spot and I hope that many of today’s better support than ever before. The by Vivien Freeman students and new entrants to the whole profession has come together profession will be encouraged to think nationally to ensure that everyone at about following in her footsteps. local level can tap into the 26 Newsbrief experience, advice and support that In the membership department at they need. ABDO members need to 27 The President’s diary ABDO we are looking at ways in which ensure that they are equally engaged by Jennifer Brower we can offer more help and advice to on their respective LOCs. those considering setting up in 28 Optician Index business. We do have a number of Queen’s Birthday Honours List April 2011 summary initiatives in place but we are seeking Our congratulations go to Dick Roberts and Frank Norville who were both 37 Disjointed jottings from included in the Queen’s Birthday a DO’s desk . Honours List. Dick Roberts was In at the deep end advanced from OBE to CBE and was by Gillian Twyning a former member of ABDO Council and Frank Norville was appointed OBE. Frank is a former chairman of the FMO 38 CET answers and former master of the Worshipful Ophthalmic prisms: part two Company of Spectacle Makers. He dispensing options has been a great friend to the dispensing profession over many years. 39 Diary of Events Tony Garrett n Front cover: ABDO actively works in Barbour Eyewear conjunction with: available soon from the Norville Group The Worshipful Company 25th Anniversary of Spectacle Makers 1986 - 2011 DO July 2011 LPL_1 17/06/2011 09:55 Page 4 4 dispensingoptics July 2011 Are electronic devices finally superseding Jane Macnaughton and Taraneh traditional Eliasieh discuss the development of electronic vision enhancement systems (EVES) and argue that low optical LVAs? vision practitioners should now be expanding their service to routinely demonstrate this indispensable collection of magnification devices CompetencIes covered: Optical appliances, low vision for dispensing opticians Target groups: Dispensing opticians, optometrists At present, optical low vision aids such displays an enlarged image on a Genensky et al1 Since then, the scope as hand or stand magnifiers, remain screen or monitor. It is calculated as and availability of electronic magnifiers the device of preference offered by the ratio of the size of the image on has developed to the point where most low vision practitioners and low the screen compared to the size of Harvey2 and later Macnaughton3 also vision services. However we are all the original object. The magnification argue that the use of electronic aware that an increasing number of so produced is aberration free, but magnification should be included in our visually impaired patients are screen resolution determines the low vision consultations across all age enquiring about electronic devices to quality of the image. A simple example groups. either complement their current of electronic magnification can be optical aids or to simply replace them demonstrated when a photo or picture Despite the advantages of an altogether. Most households now have is ‘zoomed’ in on a computer. The enhanced image and significantly access to a personal computer and a image is cropped and redisplayed over more magnification than traditional growing proportion of the population, the entire screen face, thus causing the optical devices, the high cost of both young and old, are skilled resultant image to be magnified within equipment and lack of portability has computer users. In recent years there restraints of the quality of the screen (ie, previously limited their use to the has been a surge in the development pixels) and the screen size. workplace or schoolroom, where of affordable electronic vision funding may be applied for. However enhancement systems. History the marketplace is now changing. The theory behind using electronic With the cost of devices reducing, What is electronic magnification? transverse magnification as a method several publicly funded low vision Electronic magnification, real image or of vision enhancement was historically services are now demonstrating and transverse magnification simply first envisaged in the 1950’s by lending low cost electronic low vision This article has been approved for 1 CET point by the GOC. It is open to all FBDO members, including associate member optometrists. Insert your answers to the six multiple choice questions (MCQs) online at www.abdo.org.uk, or on the answer sheet inserted in this issue and return by 11 August 2011 to ABDO CET, Courtyard Suite 6, Braxted Park, Great Braxted, Witham CM8 3GA. We are temporarily unable to accept faxed entries, but this facility will be available again later in the year. If you complete online, please ensure that your email address and GOC number are up-to-date. The pass mark is 60 per cent. The answers will appear in our September 2011 issue. C-16543 DO July 2011 LPL_1 17/06/2011 09:55 Page 5 Continuing Education and Training Figure 1: A CCTV surveillance system makes use of Figure 2: SmartView Synergy by HumanWare with a video camera imaging system that transmits a control panel with added features of page signal to a specific place, on a limited set of locator light, lines and blinds and computer monitors screen sharing devices such as those provided by light source, an X-Y platform upon Bierley to their patients along with which the object is placed, and a standard optical devices. monitor or screen on which is projected the image. With the larger The concept of using closed circuit screen size patients benefit from either television systems (CCTV) as a low an increase in image size or an vision aid has been a reality for some improvement in the field of view at time4,5, and was initially developed lower levels of magnification. from technology already widely used in CCTV surveillance systems (Figure 1). Current products that incorporate a Other than magnification, CCTV traditional CCTV system as a stand systems used in surveillance do not mounted EVES include, as an tend to provide the many additional example, the SmartView Synergy features such as contrast (Figure 2). This stand mounted EVES enhancement and image reversal, can be used to view books, which are incorporated in those magazines, newspapers and colour systems utilised by visually impaired photographs. The SmartView Synergy users. Consequently, Wolffsohn et al is available with up to 22inch screen suggest the term: Electronic Vision which can provide up to 69x Enhancement System (EVES) to better magnification. As with most of these distinguish and describe devices with traditional CCTV’s the size and weight such features6. of these systems restrict the user to one place in the home or workplace. Just a quick search on the Internet for However, systems have superior quality electronic magnification aids reveals a image and the highest levels of vast and varied market of products magnification. They are currently still that are now available to the visually expensive and often beyond the impaired user. Devices vary in size, financial capabilities of many elderly price and degree of complexity; from visually impaired users. However, most the larger, traditional desk mounted manufacturers do allow a full trial apparatus to small, portable devices, before there is a commitment to buy the market is expanding rapidly. Some outright. devices not only make use of magnification, but additionally As with all modern technology, incorporate OCR (Optical Character advances are continuing to improve Recognition) that digitally encodes and increase the usage of EVES with and converts scanned handwritten or the incorporation of additional printed text documents into electronic features to aid viewing and files.