• The American Board of Optometry has added new test dates to its winter examination window. The exams will now begin on December 10, 2012 and run through January 20, 2013. Registration is now open and applications for Active Candidacy will be accepted on a rolling admission. Also note that the application deadline for the phase-in rules inclusion is April 30, 2013. For more information, visit www.americanboardofoptometry.org.

• Healthy Vision & Contact Lenses is a new education resource for practitioners to share with their patients either in-office, on the web or via social media. Available in PDF and print versions, it offers tips for handling and wearing contact lenses, easy-to-follow steps to reduce contact lens-related infections, and information about proper use and care for lenses, according to Vistakon. To download a customizable PDF, visit www.acuvueprofessional.com/hvcl.

• The British Contact Lens Association (BCLA) is accepting applications and nominations for its 2014 research awards through November 1, 2012. The BLCA Medal Award goes to an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to contact lenses. The BCLA Dallos Award funds a year-long project that will further understanding of a topic related to contact lenses and/or the anterior eye. The BCLA Da Vinci Award recognizes work by those not established as contact lens researchers. Finally, one postgraduate in the field of contact lenses and/or the anterior eye will be selected to present the annual Irving Fatt Memorial Lecture. For more information, visit www.bcla.org.uk.

Fellows of IACLE Exam Announced
Interested in adding “Fellow of the International Association of Contact Lens Educators” (FIACLE) to your title? If so, take note that IACLE is now accepting applications for its 2013 fellowship. The fellowship exam is held every two years; the next will take place in November 2013. All IACLE members are eligible to sit for the exam, but must serve 12 months prior to becoming a fellow. Therefore, new members who join by November 30, 2012 will be eligible for the fellowship.

There are two types of memberships at the IACLE: educator membership is open to all involved in contact lens education at a recognized institution, while associate membership is open to individuals and industry representatives who contribute to education and are active in IACLE. For more information, visit www.iacle.org.

Besivance Adds New Indications
The FDA has granted four additional labeling indications for Besivance (besifloxacin ophthalmic suspension 0.6%, Bausch + Lomb). The eye drop now has an indication to treat bacterial conjunctivitis infections caused by susceptible isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Aerococcus viridans, Moraxella catarrhalis and Staphylococcus warneri.

Since 2009, Besivance has been approved in the United States for the treatment of bacterial conjunctivitis. According to the company, it is the first and only dual-halogenated chlorofluoroquinolone in topical ophthalmic use, which is believed to better inhibits bacterial DNA replication.
For more information, visit www.bausch.com.

OcuSoft Launches Kid Formulation
For practitioners and caregivers alike, a new specially formulated gentle eyelid and eyelash cleaner for children of all ages is now available. OcuBaby is a mild, tear-less formula designed to remove irritants and debris that may contribute to blocked tear ducts, pink eye, allergies and other eyelid-related conditions in infants and small children. The formulation contains no parabens, fragrances, dyes or quaternium-15. According to OcuSoft, the towelette can be used directly on the eyelid and eyelashes with no additional rinsing needed.

OcuBaby is available at Walgreens and Duane Reade pharmacies nationwide. For more information, visit www.ocusoft.com.

PROSE to Treat Severe Dry Eye
Patients with severe dry eye might benefit from a custom-made removable prosthetic device that continuously bathes the eye in artificial tears. Called “prosthetic replacement of the ocular surface ecosystem” (PROSE), the device sits directly on the sclera and is composed of material that allows oxygen to reach the cornea. By creating a smooth surface over the damaged cornea, and through constant lubrication, oxygen is continuously supplied to the cornea. Reports say that the device supports healing and reduces pain and light sensitivity.

PROSE is now available at the University of Michigan Kellogg Eye Center, one of only nine academic medical centers in the country offering this treatment.

Corneal specialist H. Kaz Soong, M.D., said those who benefit from PROSE include patients with severe dry eye, many of whom have undergone bone marrow transplant; patients who have suffered injury to the ocular surface, such as from chemical burns; patients with primary diseases or those who have suffered previous eye injuries; and patients with systemic inflammatory diseases. For more information, visit www.kellogg.mich.edu.

iDesign Aberrometer in U.S. Clinical Trial
Wavefront-guided LASIK stands to advance in sophistication now that a new device, the iDesign Advanced WaveScan Studio, has recently obtained the European CE Mark and is being studied for use in the U.S. This new diagnostic tool uses high-definition wavefront aberrometry and corneal topography to create custom ablation profiles that correct for corneal or lenticular optical aberrations as well as corneal surface irregularities.
Working with other products in its arsenal, parent company Abbott Medical Optics outlined the new three-step iLASIK process: creating a corneal flap using the iFS femtosecond laser, using the iDesign to draw up a treatment plan, and executing it through the Star S4 IR Excimer laser system for a computer-driven laser correction.

AMO has recently started clinical trials for the iDesign aberrometer in the United States. For more information, visit www.abbottmedicaloptics.com.