Specialty Contact Lens Technology Helps Patient

One of The Eye Institute’s optometric interns, Mariana Garcia, is really interested in specialty contact lenses. So, when a patient came into TEI, Salus at Drexel University, suffering from keratoconus — an eye disease that causes the cornea to thin and bulge into a cone shape, which can lead to blurred vision, light sensitivity and other vision problems — she thought she would be able to help.  

Working under the tutelage of Dr. Nicholas Gidosh, chief of the Cornea and Contact Lens Service at TEI, the two decided the patient was the perfect candidate for a new specialty lens that corrects aberrations, imperfections in the eye’s optics that cause distorted or blurred vision.  

 “The patient had been complaining of blurred vision for two years,” said Garcia, who will graduate with the Pennsylvania College of Optometry’s (PCO) Class of 2026. “We ended up getting the perfect lens for him. He tried it on and didn’t see double anymore. He was able to read, drive at night and it really fixed everything.”  

The new technology they used to treat the patient is called Ovitz Ares and the machine is called an aberrometer, which measures the patient’s aberrations. And, the success Garcia and Dr. Gidosh had with the patient during these experiences led to a series of additional successes for the PCO doctoral student about the patient’s experience.  

She first developed a case report poster on the work with the patient, which she entered into the ABB Optical Student Challenge in December 2024. Garcia was selected as the ultimate winner of the competition, the first time a student from the PCO has received the award.  

Because of that success, she also earned a scholarship to present her abstract at the Global Specialty Lens Symposium in Las Vegas, the largest annual contact lens meeting where the latest cutting-edge research is exchanged.   

 “It feels great to have my hard work rewarded and recognized,” said Garcia. “It was nice to be able to share that work with everybody, especially at the symposium, a lot of people had questions about it since it was a newer aspect.”  

Dr. Gidosh added that the TEI preceptors are proud of the students who go above and beyond to advance themselves toward career success and for providing exceptional care to patients.  

“We have seen some great efforts with students working to learn more about specialty contact lenses and optometry within The Eye Institute to further their knowledge,” he said. “This is what brings me the greatest joy, when we get to see our students excel at the highest level."  

Call The Eye Institute at 215.276.6111 to schedule a contact lens appointment today.