News Roundup from Academy 2026

Clinical Report: News Roundup from Academy 2026

Overview

Academy 2026 presentations covered an ocular irrigation device used with olopatadine for allergic conjunctivitis, moisture retention index (MRI) as a contact lens material measure, perceptions of presbyopia and perimenopause, and diffusion optics technology (DOT) lenses. The irrigation findings came from a 16-patient pilot, while MRI has not been prospectively linked to comfort or dryness; the hormonal-health survey identified a gap between professional awareness and patient conversations. The supplied article excerpt ends before reporting the Contact Lens Institute’s DOT data.

Background

Allergic conjunctivitis management in the American Academy of Ophthalmology Preferred Practice Pattern includes allergen avoidance, lubricants, topical antihistamine or mast-cell stabilizer therapy, and short courses of topical corticosteroids for more severe cases; the guideline does not provide specific recommendations for ocular irrigation devices. Contact lens material properties may vary with environmental conditions, and the article describes MRI as a dynamic measure whose clinical relationship to comfort and dryness remains unestablished. Perimenopausal hormonal changes can contribute to ocular surface dryness and vision changes, while presbyopia independently affects near vision; the article states that these conditions are not causally related. DOT lens presentations were described as extending beyond efficacy to include adaptation, wear adherence, and children’s subjective experiences.

Data Highlights

Topic	Study or report details	Reported findings
Rinsada ocular irrigation plus olopatadine	Prospective contralateral-eye pilot; 16 patients (32 eyes) with active allergic conjunctivitis and a history of seasonal allergic conjunctivitis. One eye received lavage followed 5 minutes later by olopatadine 0.7%; the fellow eye received olopatadine alone.	At 15 minutes, median ocular itch improved by 2.0 points with the combination and showed no median improvement with olopatadine alone. The company reported symptom reduction through 21 days in most eyes treated with Rinsada.
Contact lens moisture retention index	Abstract assessed MRI in 7 commercially available daily disposable silicone hydrogel contact lenses.	MRI was presented as a measure of moisture retention under specified environmental conditions. It has not been prospectively correlated with clinical comfort or dryness.
Presbyopia and perimenopause	Survey of U.S. female eye care professionals; sample size and response percentages are not provided in the supplied article excerpt.	Most respondents recognized overlap between presbyopia and perimenopause or menopause, but more than half did not initiate broader conversations with patients.
DOT lens adaptation and wear	Company-reported data summarized in the article.	SightGlass reported that 97% of children adapted within 2 to 3 days and that most patients exceeded the 10-hour wear-time instructions. DOT lenses were not yet available in the United States.

Key Findings

In the Rinsada pilot, the eye receiving lavage followed by olopatadine 0.7% had a median 2.0-point improvement in ocular itch at 15 minutes, compared with no median improvement in the fellow eye receiving olopatadine alone.
The company reported that symptom reduction persisted through 21 days in most eyes treated with Rinsada; investigators characterized the pilot as supporting further investigation and hypothesized that lavage may reduce ocular-surface allergen load.
MRI was described as a dynamic contact lens material property reflecting moisture retention under specified environmental conditions. The researchers viewed it as a potential tool for understanding material performance, not as a demonstrated predictor of comfort.
The article reports that most surveyed female eye care professionals recognized overlap between presbyopia and perimenopause or menopause, while more than half did not initiate broader patient conversations. It states that hormonal changes and presbyopia can have compounding visual effects but are not causally related.
SightGlass reported that 97% of children adapted to DOT lenses within 2 to 3 days and that most exceeded the 10-hour wear-time instructions; the article notes that DOT lenses were not yet available in the United States.
The supplied article excerpt does not include the Contact Lens Institute’s DOT findings, so no results from that presentation can be summarized.

Clinical Implications

The article describes the Rinsada results as preliminary and supportive of further investigation; the AAO guideline cited in the supplied context does not make specific recommendations on ocular irrigation devices for allergic conjunctivitis. For patients discussing midlife vision changes, Dr. Bishop encouraged clinicians to ask about symptoms, address ocular surface disease and presbyopic correction separately, and refer for systemic evaluation when symptoms warrant it. MRI remains a research measure without prospective clinical correlation to comfort or dryness, according to the article.

Conclusion

The Academy 2026 roundup presents early or descriptive findings across ocular irrigation, contact lens materials, hormonal health, and DOT lenses. The article identifies further investigation as necessary for the irrigation approach and MRI, and emphasizes separate consideration of ocular surface symptoms and presbyopia.