Mins Lens for Intractable Double Vision

The most common form of double vision is caused when the two eyes do not point at the same object. In adults, a variety of neurological problems including brain injury and stroke may lead to double vision. Occlusion is always the last resort in treating double vision. However, in many cases, surgery, prisms nor therapy can eliminate the double vision. In those cases, occluding one lens or a section of one lens may be required.

In the past patients had to use black “pirate” patches, tape or filter materials to block their vision. These often had a poor appearance, and the tape or filter rarely lasts for very long. A new lens is now helping stop double vision while maintaining a good cosmetic appearance. Developed in Asia , this unique lens allows us to block the vision in one eye while maintaining a very good cosmetic appearance. 

A special surface on the lens blocks incoming vision while allowing the image of the eye to still be seen by others, thus keeping a more normal cosmetic appearance. Looking into the patients eyewear, you can see the patient's eye even though the patient cannot see out. Turning the Mins Lens around, you see that the patient cannot see through the len.

The Mins lens is ideal for individuals with double vision that is not resolved by surgery, prisms or orthoptic therapy. It is important to rule these other treatments out before using the MIns Lens.  Double vision can be a sign of other serious neurological problems and it is crucial to fully work up the cause of the double vision.

Our doctors use a variety of techniques to measure the amount of double vision and what muscles are involved. The computerized Hess Screen helps our doctors isolate the cause of  double vision. The Double Maddox Rod can determine if one eye is rotating in a way that will make prism and therapy ineffective.   

 In some cases, the diplopia only occurs in one direction. Our doctors working with Chadwick Optical, can now have a version of the Mins Lens that can be used to occlude only a section of a lens.