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Article | AAO 2026

News Roundup from Academy 2026

Updates from Rinsada's ocular irrigation device, contact lenses, hormonal health and presbyopia, and DOT lenses.

By: Sarah Fackler, managing editor, Optometric Management and Eyecare Business
Optometric Management October 7, 2026
Objective:

The article examines the objective, findings, and clinical context described in News Roundup from Academy 2026.

Approach:
  • Ocular irrigation: A prospective contralateral-eye pilot study in 16 patients compared Rinsada lavage followed by olopatadine 0.7% with olopatadine alone.
  • Contact lens moisture retention: Researchers assessed moisture retention index (MRI) in seven commercially available daily disposable silicone hydrogel lenses.
  • Presbyopia and perimenopause: A survey examined U.S. female eye care professionals’ perceptions of links between presbyopia and perimenopause or menopause.
  • DOT lenses: Presentations reported on adaptation, wear time, and children’s experiences with diffusion optics technology lenses.
  • Practice economics: A report analyzed profitability across 20 U.S. optometric practices and 600 patients over four years.
Key Findings:
  • At 15 minutes, the median ocular-itch improvement was 2.0 points in eyes receiving Rinsada plus olopatadine and zero in eyes receiving olopatadine alone. The company reported symptom reduction through 21 days in most Rinsada-treated eyes.
  • MRI describes a lens material’s propensity to retain moisture under specified environmental conditions. It has not been prospectively correlated with clinical comfort or dryness.
  • Most surveyed eye care professionals recognized overlap between presbyopia and perimenopause or menopause, but more than half did not initiate broader conversations with patients.
  • SightGlass reported that 97% of children adapted to DOT lenses within two to three days and that most exceeded the instructed 10-hour wear time. DOT lenses were not yet available in the United States.
  • Over four years, spherical and toric contact lenses were associated with 80% greater profitability than single-vision and progressive spectacle lenses; multifocal contact lenses were 30% more profitable.
Interpretation:

The article presents early or reported findings across several topics. Investigators described the ocular-irrigation pilot as supporting further study, and MRI as a potential material-characterization measure rather than a demonstrated predictor of comfort. The article notes that presbyopia and hormonal changes can have overlapping visual effects but are not causally related.

Limitations:
  • The ocular-irrigation study was a pilot involving 16 patients; the reported longer-term symptom reduction was attributed to the company.
  • MRI has not been prospectively correlated with clinical comfort or dryness; modeling studies were identified as a next step.
  • The article does not provide the survey sample size or detailed methods for the presbyopia and perimenopause findings.
  • DOT adaptation and wear-time figures are reported by SightGlass; the article provides no study methods or sample size.
  • The profitability findings are reported for 20 practices and 600 patients; the article does not provide further methodological details.
Conclusion:

The roundup reports preliminary study results, survey responses, company-reported DOT lens data, and contact lens profitability estimates presented at Academy 2026.

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