Recent News and Events from OPRI
07/04/2014 07:00 AM
OPRI Joins EFCLIN
OPRI Joins EFCLIN
Optical
Polymer Research Incorporated (OPRI) joined the esteemed European Federation of the
Contact Lens and IOL Industries. EFCLIN
is an international meeting organization and platform for manufacturers,
wholesalers and distributors of contact lens and IOLs.
Jeanne Bear, a principal of OPRI
who has served as the organization’s board member and past president, commented
“EFCLIN membership offers an expansive network in which to collaborate in our
business of bringing new and additional polymers to the ophthalmic
industry”. The organization has now
grown to include all of Europe, the UK, the USA, India and countries in Asia
and Africa.
06/04/2014 04:35 PM
Jeanne Bear Joins OPRI
June 2014
Jeanne Bear Joins OPRI
Optical Polymer Research Inc. (OPRI) announces the addition of Jeanne Bear to its management team. Ms. Bear brings extensive experience within the global contact lens industry in sales, marketing and business development for both the GP and soft contact lens segments.
Bear’s contact lens industry background includes equity positions with Paragon Vision Sciences as Director, and then Vice President of International Sales, and prior work within Pilkington Barnes-Hind, then the parent company for Paragon, in Asia, Mexico and South America developing a distributor sales network. She joined the founding management team at SynergEyes as Director of Marketing, where she successfully developed and implemented U.S. marketing strategy for start-up efforts, along with initial global marketing and planning. Bear served as General Manager for Global Business Development for Menicon for several years, leading market expansion and sales into Asia/Pacific Rim, South/Central America, Eastern Europe and North America. In 2008, she joined Contamac LTD in global marketing, sales and business development.
Bear served as both Board Member and President of the European Federation of Contact Lens Industries (EFCLIN), where she was the first American elected to head the organization, and was on the Editorial Board for Global Contact until recently.
05/19/2014 04:20 PM
Optical Polymer Research Inc. (OPRI) in Mesa, AZ. Announces a NEW collaboration with researchers from Western University of Health Sciences (WUHS), College of Optometry in Pomona CA. to develop a new generation of anti-microbial contact lens materials.
Optical Polymer Research Inc. (OPRI) in Mesa, AZ. Announces a NEW collaboration with researchers from Western University of
Health Sciences (WUHS), College of Optometry in Pomona CA. to develop a new
generation of anti-microbial contact lens materials. These materials are
characterized by a composite structure which combines OPRI’s, AQUAPERM SiOH® next generation silicone hydrogel
material with an array of especially designed nanoparticles. In previous
stand-alone experiments the nanoparticles demonstrated potent antimicrobial
properties while being biocompatible to the human corneal tissue. The findings
of this project may lead to the development of an entire new generation of
contact lenses which possess a broad spectrum of antimicrobial properties, and
therefore have a wide range of prophylactic and therapeutic uses.
"This collaboration brings together two leaders,”
sighted Hank Stute, Managing Principle,
OPRI, “with a long standing
intuitive culture in developing new generation contact lens materials/polymers
for the Betterment of Mankind
www.opri.net . OPRI’s team
will utilize extensive knowledge from previous microgravity nanoparticle
dispersion and polymerization projects with NASA’s Space Shuttle programs.”
WUHS research program’s goal is to position WUHS as an
agile, flexible partner with both collaborative institutions and industry, to
attack the most pressing health-related issues facing mankind, including
brain-related disorders, infectious disease threats, cancer and complex metabolic
diseases. Western University is in a unique position to fully integrate
health-related research with health-related delivery.”
OPRI
intends to further expand this research to include its NEW OPERM HDKR (Dk 100) fluoro-silicone acrylate polymer
for those situations when a GP lens is the best choice. These efforts
will be based on the earlier discovery of a unique fluorine monomer utilized
within the novel OPERM F
series chemistry with which to expand and extend the OPERM F polymer platform. “A
unique more compact molecule than found in most currently used contact lens
polymers. This compact molecule makes for a less bulky molecule replacing a
hydroxyl group in the presence of water making a more hydrophilic polymer”.*
MORE ABOUT OPRI
OPRI
is proud to offer a full range of GP contact lens polymer options from Dk
10-153 (Fatt method) for the manufacture of custom contact lenses. All OPRI polymers are designed to promote
optimal comfort and wettability combined with long-term eye health and superior
visual correction. Custom gas permeable contact lenses made from OPRI polymers offer a broad range of
features and benefits allowing the independent manufacturers and eye care
professionals alike to design lenses that meet patients’ needs for lens comfort,
wetting, deposit resistance and overall performance.
OPRI’s premium fluoro-silicone-acrylate (FSA) products are a major enhancement
over the previous generation of silicone-acrylate (SA) and many first
generation FSA polymers. OPRI expertise in fluoro-monomers
led it to utilizing a truly unique fluoro-component reducing its dependency on
silicone content providing increased performance. And has further extended the
oxygen permeability (Dk) of these polymers
01/23/2014 02:00 PM
OPRI JOINS CONTACT LENS MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION
Mesa, AZ – Optical Polymer
Research, Inc. (OPRI) announced today that they are proud to be joining
the Contact Lens Manufacturers Association as an Associate Member. “OPRI
is joining the CLMA in order to demonstrate its total commitment to the global
specialty and custom contact lens manufacturers. Today we are attending the Global Specialty Lens Symposium in support of all the member labs
exhibiting and those non-attending members by greeting members and
practitioners alike that visit the CLMA’s exhibit booth” offered, Krist Jani,
then added, “We are also here to attend continuing educational seminars to keep
stride with the rapidly expanding GP specialty and custom lens segment.” The symposium takes place from January 23rd
through the 26th, at the Rio Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. It focuses on the latest techniques and technologies for the successful
management of ocular conditions using today’s specialty contact lenses. Hank Stute and Krist Jani, principles of OPRI, are excited to be
attending so that they can continue their education on current and emerging
contact lens polymer needs and properties. For full biographical information on
either principle, along with a wealth of information on the company.
01/15/2014 05:10 PM
OPTICAL POLYMER RESEARCH, INC ANNOUNCES REJUVENATION PLAN COMPLETE
Mesa, AZ – Optical Polymer
Research, Inc, aka OPRI announced today the completion of their rejuvenation plan and the
launch of their new manufacturing plant in Mesa, Arizona. OPRI’s mission is to develop and deliver high-quality and
innovative contact lens polymers to custom finishing laboratories, eye care
providers and their patients. According to Krist Jani, OPRI will offer enhanced, FDA-approved, technology in their polymers that is
unavailable from any of their competitors. This will allow global custom lens
manufacturers new material choices from a company having a long standing
heritage & culture of not becoming a finished lens competitor but rather a
corporate strategy to enhance the laboratories’ capabilities and success.
Secondarily, OPRI will be engaged in developing optical polymers that
have a variety of uses beyond that of contact lenses.
OPRI’s full range of GP contact lens polymer options will
allow its partners in the global optical manufacturing industry to increase
their efficiencies’ without sacrificing quality. “Rather than compete directly with our custom
manufacturers in the creation of finished lenses, OPRI
chooses to advance the capabilities of our customers by delivering world-class
polymers and significant technical manufacturing support. Customers can take
advantage of OPRI’s one-on-one manufacturing consultations to discover
ways they can improve lens yields, avoid unnecessary costs, and function more
efficiently”, said Hank Stute of OPRI. “In addition, OPRI
can and will provide turnkey systems in the areas of plasma surface cleaning
treatment, lens laser marking, specialized GP lens design and even hydrogel
lens manufacturing and sterilization experience”, further added Stute.
Hank Stute and Krist Jani lead OPRI’s management team. Mr. Stute has over 30 years of entrepreneurial
innovative product and manufacturing achievements in medical devices, and
consumer products. He has a wealth of knowledge about this industry within the
United States and internationally. Mr. Jani, as well, is a veteran of 30 years
of marketing, sales, domestic and international business development experience
within the ophthalmic marketplace to OPRI. For full biographical
information on either principle, along with a wealth of information on the
company, please visit OPRI at www.OPRI.net