What are Orthok lenses?

 
The science of Orthokeratology which means ortho = straight; keratology = relating to the cornea, is not new - the thinking has been around since the 1960s.  But todays computer designed overnight ortho k lenses have come a long way since then.

The origins of Orthokeratology 

Originally a series of different ortho k lenses had to be worn over many months to achieve vision correction and success was a bit hit and miss. The lenses could only be worn during the day and when the lenses were removed the effect would only last a few hours 

Modern Overnight Vision Correction or Accelerated Ortho k  

 
Today  full correction is achieved with the first lens design and the correction effect lasts for at least 36hrs. The base material for the lenses is by Bausch and Lomb and because of its very high oxygen permeability the lenses gained approval to be worn while sleeping.

This was a significant step forward as is was found that  the stable pressure created by the eyelid during sleep significantly improved the effectiveness of these lenses. Hence the more sophisticated version of Orthokeratology  is commonly reffered to as Accelerated Orthokeratology or Overnight Vision Correction.

There have been three further breakthroughs to make the patented i-GO OVC overnight contact lenses a unique new solution for short-sightedness.

• Computerised Corneal Topography - enabling opticians to generate a very accurate map of the eye surface.
• Advanced Computer Controlled Lathes - which can machine lenses to a sub-micron accuracy from these diagnostic maps .
• New Lens Materials - with a very high oxygen permeability (developed by Bausch and Lomb) allowing lenses to be worn safely overnight.

Find out if you could enjoy freedom from glasses and daytime contact lenses by filling in our one minute online suitability test