I was in CE classes this past weekend, and the speaker was one of my teachers in opticianry school. In our CEs, a portion described the ABO Advanced exam, so he turned to me and asked about me experience taking and passing it. When I got home I had to look on my wall to see how long it's been - seven years! Oh my goodness!
Originally, I was working on one idea for an ABOM submission, but I went through a move to a new city, new job, etc... so it didn't fully materialize. I have the ability to renew my ABOA and thereby reignite that little spark to get my ABOM done.
I have a few ideas I've been bouncing around in my head, and would love to see everyone's thoughts.
1) Difference in impact resistance in poly/trivex with AR and without AR
a) I know that technically a scratch coating will lessen the impact resistance too, but a non scratch
coated lens isn't really an option in the real world.
b) The biggest dilemma I may have with this topic is the testing. We have standard drop ball tests
in our lab, but that's it. I don't really have a way to vary the test to push a material to it's limit.
2) A reference chart (with paper, obviously) that would establish a conversion between phoroptors for
refracted vertex distance. If you have a power patient and want to correct for vertex (and it's not
listed on the Rx), you could find which phoroptor the prescribing doctor used, and by measuring the
patient at your own phoroptor could site the chart to accurately know where the patient was
refracted at.
a) This could be a great resource if it's possible to do.
b) I could see using a number of test patients and measuring them in different offices (notating VD
and brand/model of phoroptor). I don't know a lot about phoroptors, so it makes me interested,
but I don't want to get half way into it, and find that each phoroptor could be individually set,
thereby negating my findings.
c) The other problem I could find is coming up with my measurements to create an accurate and
very usable chart, but not having enough 'tech' to write about and having it rejected.
3) Digital measuring devices - the role of the prefit. As spoke at length here on the boards, digital
measuring devices are great tools, but the optician has to be trained on how to use it properly. I
could write on common mistakes and what it does to the optics, and what the proper adjustments
for a range of fit should be.
a) If it seems to be too broad a topic, I could limit it to single vision only.
b) Not sure whether I should speak on digital measuring devices in general, or name one and use
that brand only in my paper. (I imagine the principles are all the same, but there may be enough
differences between brands to warrant specificity)
4) Adding AR to backside of sunglasses - difference in UV transmission from back to front of lens. AR is
designed for the visible light spectrum, but it might be neat to see if the backside AR lenses also
let more UV pass through to the front instead of being reflected back towards the eye.
a) I could broaden it to be UV transmission through AR lenses in general, and discuss any
difference in transmisison between AR vs non.
b) The only tester I would have is a standard UV meter, so the ability to measure this may be
difficult, as I'm not sure how I could distinguish between absorbtion vs reflection.
5) ??? Open to neat ideas, or things that lots of opticians have questions on.
Thanks for any input,
William
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