Scleral Lens Plunger for Application and Removal
- March 10, 2021
If you wear scleral contact lenses for keratoconus, you are certainly using a scleral lens plunger device for application and removal of your scleral lenses. More likely than not, these tools are made by a family owned and operated business started over 50 years ago, DMV Corporation.
The Different Types of DMV Tools Used for Scleral Lenses
There are many different tools for application and removal of rigid contact lenses made by DMV Corporation. For scleral lens application, many of our patients use the scleral lens tool to hold the scleral lens to the eye. Since there is a suction bulb on this tool, it is important to make sure that no suction is applied when the lens is released onto the eye. One way to assure that no suction is applied to the scleral lens is to cut the bulb end of the tool. The same scleral lens tool, with the bulb intact, is used by some of our patients for scleral lens removal. However, most of our patients find the angled and slimmer “DMV 45” tool, shown on this webpage, helpful for scleral lens removal.
Cheap Knockoff Scleral Lens Application and Removal Tools on Amazon.com
Recently, several of our scleral lens patients have wondered how the cheaper scleral lens tools found on Amazon.com differ from the authentic scleral lens tools made by DMV Corporation. According to Dr. Alan J. Patterson, O.D., President of DMV Corporation, “…we use natural rubber which tends to be much more durable than the silicone product (used by several competitors selling on Amazon.com) which explains part of the cost difference.” He added, “… patients will need to purchase more of the silicone products than DMV products. Dr. Patterson said that unlike most competitors who have attempted to reverse engineer their original products, all DMV tools are registered through the FDA.
While the knock-off devices are mostly manufactured outside the U.S., “Every aspect of what goes into manufacturing and distributing DMV products is done entirely in the U.S.,” according to Dr. Patterson.
Latex Allergy Not an Issue
Since DMV plungers are made with latex rubber, you might wonder if they are problematic for patients with latex allergy. In short, the answer is no.
According to a representative of DMV Corporation, “As far as any allergy is concerned, there should be no concerns regarding our products with patients who have latex allergies. Patients with latex allergies are typically allergic to liquid latex. Our products are made from dry natural rubber which has not shown the same allergic response that patients who have latex allergies get. We have a report around here somewhere from a lab that analyzed our product material years ago to confirm this information. We have not had a report from a customer or patient of any allergy to our products in the 50+ years we have been in business.”
What Does DMV Stand For?
No, it is not the Department of Motor Vehicles. DMV stands for the three people that started DMV Corporation over 50 years ago, namely Dr. Dennis England, and his two staff members from his optometry practice, Mary Jo and Velma.
Dr. England’s son, Dr. Robert England, also an optometrist, took over DMV Corporation when his father passed away in the 1970’s. Dr. Alan Patterson, an optometrist as well, took over DMV Corporation in 2015 with Dr. Robert England staying on with the company in an advisory role.
To schedule an evaluation for scleral contact lens prescribing at ReVision Optometry, request an appointment today by clicking here. At ReVision Optometry, all of our new scleral lens patients receive their first DMV scleral lens tool complimentarily. Subsequent DMV tools are available at our cost.