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I am continually asked if I fit Z-Wave contact lenses. I have also heard repeatedly through emails from people that I haven't met how they were fit into a Z-Wave contact lens and they failed. There is actually no such thing as a "Z-Wave contact lens." Z-Wave is a piece of computer software that is a contact lens design interface, which is one of the components of a design and manufacturing contact lens system. Although every part of the system is important to the final product, the most important part of the system is the doctor. An analogy to this would be something like the painting that Leonardo da Vinci created called the Mona Lisa. The model, the canvas, the pigments and the brushes are all part of the "system" for creating that work of art, but the most important part of that system was da Vinci. Given all of those exact same components, someone other than da Vinci would have created a very different "product," and the same is true with regard to the components of Z-Wave. The final product, in this case the actual contact lens, will be very different depending on the doctor that is doing the designing.

 
Z-Wave Technology Art

What Is Z-Wave?

Z-Wave is a contact lens CAD/CAM (computer aided design, computer aided manufacture) system intended to aid Dr. Maller in addressing the vision problems associated with corneal irregularities. Z-Wave is comprised of the following: a corneal topographer, a computer with very sophisticated processing software, an advanced contact lens software design program, a state-of-the-art computer controlled manufacturing lathe, and a very adept contact lens finishing laboratory. This combined with Dr. Maller's experience with traditional rigid contact lens fitting as well as the integration and application of the above mentioned constituents makes this a very powerful system to address very complex problems. Since computers and technology continue to advance very rapidly, Z-Wave is also a work in progress that continues to improve.

 

Who Would Benefit From Z-Wave?

Z-Wave is intended to address corneal irregularities. These irregularities can be from a variety of causes. Among the causes leading to these corneal irregularities, are many of the refractive surgery procedures, i.e. RK, LASIK, etc. People who have had a refractive surgery procedure may now be dealing with many different types of visual distortions. The symptoms can be blur, glare, ghosting, multiple images, poor contrast, halos, starbursts, spikes, etc. Another source of these irregularities can be corneal transplants, which will also result in very distorted vision. Trauma or infections can sometimes leave scars in the cornea also causing these irregularities. Certain degenerative conditions such as Keratoconus or Pellucid Marginal Degeneration can cause very poor vision due to the unusual shape that the cornea assumes. All of these types of corneal conditions have traditionally been the most difficult group of conditions to properly restore 'functional normal' vision. Individuals who suffer with any of the aforementioned conditions would find the most benefit in Z-Wave.

 

Why Is Z-Wave Revolutionary?

"This is the first time in history that this type of technological foundation exists, allowing this type of precision design and manufacture."

For the first time optical correction can be given to these very distorted corneas thus restoring good, clear, functional vision, to the individual. Using this type of tool is a revolutionary approach to manage these very unique problems. Instead of attempting to fit these very irregular corneas into contact lenses of preconceived designs and shapes, Dr. Maller is now instead, starting with your eye, and letting it be the guide to the design and manufacture process. The lens design is truly customized, from the thousands of curves on the back surface to match up to the complex surface of the cornea, to the size of the lens going from very small corneal lenses all the way up to very large scleral lenses, to the refracting power of the lens to bring the eye into focus. This is the first time in history that this type of technological foundation exists, allowing this type of precision design and manufacture.

 

How Does Z-Wave Work?

The Z-Wave process starts with corneal topography. With topography, a digital "mold" is created of your unique eye. This is not a physical mold but rather a digital representation of your corneal shape summarized into a computer modeling system. With this "mold," Dr. Maller uses the Z-Wave software to design and manufacture the back surface of a contact lens that not only is rotationally asymmetrical, but can in fact follow the exact and unique contour of your cornea. The capability to design and manufacture rotationally asymmetrical lenses is a quantum leap forward for contact lenses. Since your eye was the guide, the resulting one-of-a-kind contact lens will now fit very well and therefore be comfortable, stable and healthy. Through the use of complex calculations, the "proper neutralizing prescription" can then be made onto the front surface of the contact lens thus providing clear vision. This manufactured contact lens is a unique and specific customized product for your eye. Prior to its manufacture, this specific lens has never existed before nor will it ever exist again unless an exact duplicate were required for your eye. This very powerful tool has allowed the restoration of vision on eyes that previously were impossible to address.

 

Dr. Maller And Z-Wave In The News

Dr. Maller using the Z-Wave system to design custom contact lenses to address very irregular corneas after poor results from refractive surgery was on the television news. You can see the transcript of this news broadcast as well as view the video broadcast in the related links section below.

 

People Who Have Benefited From Z-Wave

"Many of these people have been exactly where you are now."

You can also read about patients that have been helped with this very sophisticated technology. They have told their stories in their own words. Their stories will likely "hit a note" with you and many of the elements of their stories will sound very familiar. Many of these people have been exactly where you are now. It is for this reason that they have taken the time to relay their story. They have done so in the hopes that what they have been through will help give perspective and hope to anyone enduring a similar type of scenario.

 

Videos from Patients Who have Benefited From Z-Wave

The following videos are all candid comments from actual patients benefiting from various applications of Z-Wave.

 

Dr. Maller's Webinars explaining Corneal Scleral Profiling, Medical Lenses, WAVE Lens design software, Orthok, and Myopia Management

The following are webinars Dr. Maller did, explaining the Pentacam Corneal Scleral Profile (CSP) software, the integration with WAVE software, and ultimately the advantage to the patient to have a totally customized scleral contact lens designed uniquely for their eye, by the physician. The level of customization is contained within the many thousands of curves that are specified and the degree of asymmetrical design that is possible which allows the lens to fit much better on the asymmetrical sclera of each patient. This creates a more comfortable lens for the patient that also is then capable of much better performance i.e. better vision, longer comfortable wearing times, etc. Additionally, the Pentacam in conjunction with Wave software can elevate the possibilities for Orthokeratology designs.


 

Dr. Maller's WAVE Webinar Series explaining WAVE Lens design software for various applications like Orthokeratology, Myopia Management, Bifocals, Sclerals, etc.

The following are a webinar series that Dr. Maller did, explaining the WAVE software. Beginning with ocular surface mapping of the cornea and sclera utilizing corneal topography and scleral shape profiling, to analysis of this extensive data, to uniquely creating one-of-a-kind lens designs, customized and contoured by the physician using the complex and nuanced mature software interface called WAVE, are all reviewed in this series. By employing this approach, patients can achieve significantly improved and superior performance from their contact lens devices. This translates to the patient as better vision, greater comfort and wearing experience, improved ocular physiology and health, and resolution of symptoms even after many other custom design contact lenses have already failed.