Moisture chambers: taking a chance with Shragie Abramowitz

[Rojzen]

I had a marvelous experience today that reminded me of how simple it is, at times, to get the help we need, if only we expect the best of people. Tooling through a little shopping strip this afternoon, I spotted an optical shop that looked particularly novel. Inside, frames were assembled in odd arrays, and the selection of frames was astonishingly tasteful and original. I began to wonder if the optician behind this very engaging operation might have any interest in experimenting with custom moisture chambers, and soon a lovely and incredibly warm young man emerged from the lab, in back, to answer my question. Yes, optician Shragie Abramowitz of Pikesville, MD was indeed interested in learning all he could about moisture chambers, and even bragged that he was "handy" and "creative," and interested in coming up with solutions. In a few days, I will bring him all my old custom moisture chambers, made in Ohio, Florida, and New York, along with my gorgeous RecSpecs, out of which I can barely see. He, in turn, will research Eagle Vision and other plastic shield material, and we will attempt a new pair of glasses.

Many, many times, in the past, I have asked random opticians to take a chance on making moisture chambers, and the answer has always been "Why bother? There's no mass market in it." Today, the young and able Mr. Abramowitz renewed my hope, and I'm thinking that those of us who need and want custom moisture chambers should never give up with local opticians, because we may just find someone who cares, at last!

I dedicate this happy update to our very own George T, whose courage in traveling to Miami, recently, for his first pair of moisture chambers, really uplifted me.

[Lucy]

I love this story and I'm already a fan of Shragie Abramowitz!! Please keep us updated.

Lucy

[Rojzen]

will do; retro side shields on a cycling spectacle

Will do, Lucy! In meantime, GeorgeT has reminded me that we can get the Eagle Vision plastic for custom moisture chambers on our own, and then supply it to our local opticians. . .I'm not sure how many novice opticians would know how to insert the chambers to form cylinders, and then to close these cylinders with the proper glue or tape, but the process does not seem difficult, and buying the materials on our own could indeed represent some savings. . .

More on Shragie soon. . .I should add that he produced an interesting new motorcycle spectacle, while I was with him, which is not goggle-like at all. . .It's simply got side shields made of leather. . .Vegans among us will not pursue this, and the product did not provide a very complete seal, but it's interesting to see something old-fashioned like this emerge. . .The look was very retro. . .

[bassfan]

This guy has quite the name! It sounds like its straight out of a Harry Potter book. Are you sure you werent just dreaming about someone caring about dry eye glasses?

[Lucy]

I know nothing of Harry Potter (except what I try to avoid on tv) but I still like Shragie's name. I think my next pet's name will be Shragie Abramowitz!!
Works for either male or female.......cat or dog........or fish........or reptile.

[GeorgeT]

Hi,

Below it's a link for moisture chamber panels from EAGLE VISION :

http://www.dryeye.org/pdf/moisteye.pdf

Please buy it on your own rather than have an optician do it......

Good Luck !!

George

[Rebecca Petris]

I'm a little confused. I thought that they sell only to opticians? (I have spoken with them about this in the past and also today.)

[Dotanne]

I managed to buy the plastic from an Eagle vision agent in NZ after emailing Eagle vision. Then I turned up at a recommended optician (though I don't think he(their technician) had done anything like this before) with the pack (which included instructions) which cost about $100 and though I had to get the correct sort of frames that the plastic could be put into, he managed to put everything together. They haven't fallen apart either! I have plenty of spare plastic for next time too.

So I managed to buy the plastic myself! The Internet is a wonderful creation.

Cheers
Dot

[GeorgeT]

Hi Rebecca,

Why do you think they are selling only to opticians?
I don't see a reason....They want to make money, so they want so sell as much as they can. It does not matter who buys...
Correct me if I am wrong !!!

All best !

George

[Rebecca Petris]

1) Eaglevision doesn't make consumer products, they make medical products for sale to professionals. That's their market. And they are not really marketing the moisture chamber much at all (if they were they would at least have some up to date literature and not that awful picture that looks like something from the 70's...) since almost no one knows about it.

2) They want to ensure the product is cut and fitted correctly. By all accounts it's not the easiest task in the world, so I can imagine they would not be happy to have it in the hands of consumers that would try it themselves and perhaps damage their glasses then call and complain.

I'm not arguing one way or the other, just explaining why it would be quite reasonable from their standpoint to take that position. If people can get it direct and take it to an optician, well and good.

[Rojzen]

Eagle once turned me down; hardest part is the taping/gluing

I have formed the same impression as Rebeccca's, over time. When I first discovered moisture chambers, from an old article that sported that awful, outdated photo of a woman wearing HUGE plastic-framed glasses, with klunky chambers attached, I called Eagle, and they refused to sell plastic directly to me. The rationale was that they don't simply sell the plastic; rather, (and this has been my experience 3 times, so far), they PLACE cylinders of the plastic in the space between frames and lenses supplied by the optician, and then send the stuff back to the optician, for the custom fitting...

Admittedly, I haven't called Eagle about this lately. . . but I will give that a try, as I plan the next visit to my Shragie .

Now if we can indeed get Eagle to send us the sheets, as Dotanne and GeorgeT have demonstrated, I still worry about whether a novice optician can successfully place these, as cylinders into the frame. . .I find the most problematic part of the process is closing that cylinder around the lens. . .Some use scotch tape for this, and others use glue. In all cases, the binding material eventually disintegrates, in my experience. On the other hand, all that will be necessary, after placement and sealing, is cutting the excess on the front, and shaping the back. . .

I'll report back on Eagle's response to my particular request shortly. . .

Cheers!

[kimby2007]

Moisture Chamber Glasses

Hello All:

I recently got fitted for a pair of Moisture Chamber Glasses in NY. Turns out I really don't need them, but that is a different story. The fitting was done by Scott Kornfeld of Woodbury Optical. He has over 10 yrs experience fitting moisture chambers. He doesn't use Eagle Vision plastic but rather got plastic sheets from another company and then tailors them specifically to the patient. The result is actually quite impressive and discreet. I am 25 so I would be honest about that one. He gives lectures all around the East Coast on how to construct them and if the optometrist you have consulted is interested may consider talking to him about the construction/plastic obtaining process. Just a suggestion that may be worthwhile to look into.

[Rebecca Petris]

Alright, this was the impetus I needed, though I know it's been suggested before - I will find/make a place to start listing these helpful opticians who are working on moisture chambers. Heaven knows we need them!!

[Dotanne]

The sheets I got are called ' rectangular MOIST EYE moisture panels' from EagleVision. The pack contains 8 panels and there are instructions inside but it would be very difficult for an inexperienced person to put them in place. No glue is used. It was quite difficult for the technician to do. The panels are shaped and then inserted between the lens and the frame. Hence the need for a certain type of frame to make this possible. They are trimmed again to fit one's face. They do not seal against the face but fit up against the skin. Mine do fog up at times especially when I have just used drops so the humidity around the eyes is quite high. They are very discreet and don't seem to show up in photos. Someone who didn't know about them commented to me that 'Is that a bit of cellotape on your face?' The children at school ask me about the plastic on my glasses occasionally.

[Rojzen]

Scott Kornfeld indeed! Consider getting past the fogging issue

Thrilled to find another fan of Scott Kornfeld's! Scott has made three pairs of moisture chambers, for me, over the years, and his talents are enormous. He is a perfectionist, and has a grasp of the immense importance of what he does for each patient.

Since Rebecca may be compiling a list, I'll cast the names of the following opticians who have made me highly effective customized moisture chamber glasses, in recent years:

Scott Kornfeld, Hicksville, Long Island (Woodbury Optical)

Angel Perez, D.O., Bascom-Palmer Eye Institute Optical Department (Miami, FL)

Dave Rogers, Master Optician (but now retired), Ohio State University School of Optometry

I've located names of other practitioners who are reputed to make moisture chambers, such as one in Texas and another in San Francisco, but I've not made successful contact with any of these.

To those experiencing fogging, right now, in the early days of wearing the moisture chambers, please consider sticking with them for the sake of your ocular surface health. Prolonged wear of the chambers can steadily extend your tear break-up time, and this, in turn, can promote corneal health. As Scott often reminded me, if the fogging is too much, it's OK to poke tiny airholes into the chambers. (I don't need to do that, but others may. . .)