Brimming with anticipation in the early hours of a dark March morning, together with two other optometrists, we headed to Corneal Lens Corporation (CLC) in Christchurch, courtesy of our Cornea and Contact Lens Society (CCLS) NZ scholarship. We were greeted by CLC director Graeme Curtis and team members Charl Laas, Alan Benjamin and Andrew Kim.
Our four-day advanced contact lens workshop began with a tour of CLC's state-of-the-art lab. We watched in awe as the DAC ALM lathes meticulously crafted more than 200 orders from optometrists across Australasia. Everything from small corneal rigid gas permeable (RGP) contacts to bespoke scleral and ortho-k lenses were brought to life with micron precision. Beyond the machines, a team of professional lab technicians ensured each order met CLC’s exacting standards. Maree, a soft contact lens technician, offered insights into the intricate process of crafting prosthetic lenses – a transformative solution for patients with opaque corneas seeking cosmetic enhancement post-injury.
In the afternoon, Laas led a riveting exploration of custom RGP lens designs, demonstrating his expertise in the EyeSpace contact lens-design software. His approach challenged our preconceptions, guiding us from the periphery to the core of scleral lens design. He also provided a better understanding of the mechanics of scleral lenses and patient selection to lens creation based on engineering principles, giving us a fresh perspective on our own practices.
Tailoring with topography
Day two brought mentorship from Benjamin, drawing from his extensive experience in paediatric optometry and contact lenses. His step-by-step guidance in customising each of the modifiable parameters in scleral contact lens design, using the sMap 3D Lens Composer software, was invaluable. In troubleshooting extreme corneal ectasias from hospital patient cases, we uncovered insights that transcended textbooks and enriched our approach to patient care.
