Contour Contributes to ‘Room Temperature’ Hydrophobic IOL Manufacturing Process

 

Foldable Intra-Ocular Lenses (IOL’s) are increasing in  dominance in what is now a routine surgical procedure worldwide.  Set apart from the more traditional rigid type lenses, two types of foldable lens materials are available, being hydrophilic and hydrophobic in nature.  Due to the hydrophobic material being very ‘rubbery’, it is extremely challenging to lathe and mill, when compared to PMMA and hydrophilic materials.  Despite this the hydrophobic market is growing with pace,  requiring IOL laboratories who wish to enter this market to purchase expensive   cryogenic equipment to freeze the lens blank both prior and during the manufacturing processes.  This process can be very slow and is at times subject to unimpressive yields, resulting in higher unit costs. 

 

ODC Medical, an innovative group of IOL consultants has developed a system of         manufacturing hydrophobic IOL’s without freezing.  Teaming up with Vista Optics, producer of hydrophobic materials and Contour, who  designed the   special diamond tools for this process, a partnership of the three companies was formed to exploit this unique “room      temperature” process.  The  process does not require expensive equipment and all lathing and milling is done at normal room temperatures in a standard  laboratory environment. The  process is fast, providing consistent results and   almost no rejects, ultimately         resulting in improved yields and       r educed unit costs. 

 

A number of labs  world-wide have now switched from the cryogenic method to the room temperature  process with great  success.  For more   information on this process please contact Mr. Andy Chryssolor

 

For more details contact:

achryssolor@contour-diamonds.com

 

 

Annual Contour Golf Day

 

Contour’s Annual Golf Day took place earlier this month at the Chesfield Downs Golf Club near Stevenage in the UK.  With the event in its 9th year, the gathering was a chance for customers to meet staff from various Contour and Technodiamant facilities.  Participants took part in a good natured but highly competitive 18 hole                tournament, with the more recreational golfers enjoying the less challenging 9 hole course.  If you’re interested in next years event then please contact us.   

 

 

Employee Spotlight

Dave Slaperud

 

Having worked in the ‘diamond’ business since 1991, Dave has been managing the Technodiamant US operation in New    Jersey since its formation in 1996, so is a familiar face to its American Customers

 

Dave enjoys spending time outdoors with his wife, Annie (pictured) and is a keen motorcyclist.  His other interests include energy conservation and the    environment.

 

 

The

       September 2010

   EDGE

www.contour-diamonds.com                    www.clubcft.com 

www.technodiamant.com

Technodiamant Provides Unique Tools for

Gravure Engraving Industry

 

Technodiamant is renowned as a leading supplier of    diamond tools used in the gravure engraving industry.   Gravure printing is used in high volume print runs of for example special food packaging labels and high quality magazines.   The diamond engraving ‘styli’ that are     produced are used to engrave copper drums that are used in the printing process.  The styli have a specific  included angle that varies depending on the type of printing being undertaken.

 

Diamond blanks are first laser cut from pre-polished plates that have a specific crystal orientation.  Then    during polishing of the various precise angles, an in-house developed    laser measuring device is used to assure that the         compound angles are held to within +/- 15 arc minutes.     The polished diamond is then precisely cemented or brazed into the appropriate tool holder, assuring that the angles are again held to within +/- 15 arc minutes.

 

Much of the tooling and techniques used in making these tools is also utilized in producing sharp tools for other products such as diffractive optics.  We can         produce tools with included angles as small as 9º and can also provide radii or flats on the tips of the  diamonds to aid in tool life.

Your Customer Support Contacts at a Glance

 

United States                      Mr. Dennis Keating

                                                   dennis@contour-diamonds.us

                                                   Mr. Dave Slaperud

                                                   dave@technodiamant.com

 

United Kingdom               Mr. Ben Smith-Ruddick

                                                   ben@contour-diamonds.com

 

Netherlands                        Mr. Eric van Hal

                                                   eric@contour-diamonds.nl

                                                   Mr Ronald de Vries

                                                   ronald@technodiamant.com

 

Japan                                       Mr.  Yasu Akitake                             

                                                   yasu@contour-diamonds.jp