Course description
This course provides learning opportunities in contact lenses and optical technologies at an advanced level. Students will apply knowledge and skills from related theory and laboratory courses to the clinical dispensary. Students will continue their clinical practice in a retail contact lens practice or the on campus clinic. They will complete their clinical skills under the direct supervision of a program approved licensed eyecare professional.
Course content
- Introduction
- Laboratory objectives
- Laboratory hygiene
- Office Instruments
- Refraction, Automated Sight Testing and Over-Refraction with Contact Lenses
- Phoropter and Trial lens acuity set
- Mathematical calculations
- Verifying spherical lens correction
- Verifying toric lens correction
- Verifying presbyopic corrections
- Visual acuity complication
- Co-manage and recognize when to refer to an Optometrist, Ophthalmologist, or MD
- Soft and Gas Permeable Lens Types, Materials Characteristics, and Fitting Relationship to Ocular Health
- Soft and Gas Permeable Lens Solution Properties, Chemical Compounds, and Relationship to Ocular Health
- Contaminants, Complications, and Contraindications Related to Ocular Health
- Lens Damage and the Relationship to Fitting Complications
- Soft and Gas Permeable Specialty Materials and Fitting Applications
- Keratoconus lenses
- Astigmatic lenses
- Piggy - Back lenses
- Aphakic lenses
- Pediatric lenses
- Orthokeratology lenses
- Soft and Gas Permeable Lens Design Analysis and Parameter Modification
- Boutique Dispensing Strategies
Learning activities
- Lectures
- Independent study of courseware
- Independent completion of online self-assessment quizzes
- Completion of field assignments
- Participation in online Discussion Forums
Means of assessment
The course evaluation is consistent with ºÚÁϱ¬ÁÏÍø evaluation policy. An evaluation schedule is presented at the beginning of the course.
Learning outcomes
Upon successful completion, the student will be able to:
- Demonstrate progressive competency with the use of instruments for soft and gas permeable contact lens fitting and analysis
- Demonstrate the steps of a typical soft or gas permeable lens pre-fit evaluation, diagnostic fitting, and post-fit evaluation
- Demonstrate proper soft and gas permeable lens care and hyg