EYE BANK SLIT LAMP AND SPECULAR MICROSCOPE

Description

The Irish Blood Transfusion Service (IBTS) is a public sector body responsible for collecting, processing, testing, storage and distributing blood and tissue products in Ireland. Specifically, the IBTS Tissue Bank currently manages ocular tissue, heart valves and some musculoskeletal tissues in addition to the manufacture of Serum Eye Drops for dry-eye disease. Since 2004, the IBTS imports all corneas from Rocky Mountain Lions Eye Bank in Denver, Colorado in the USA. As part of a project to reopen the Irish Eye Bank, the IBTS will restart the collection of corneas from donors in Ireland The IBTS operates as a Blood Establishment under the terms of SI 360/05 (Authorisation No. BE 002), a Tissue Establishment under the terms of SI 158 / 06 (Authorisation No. TE12 – 002) as well as a GMP authorisation (M11514/00001) for the manufacture of Serum Eye Drops. In relation to the legal status of Eye Banking in Ireland: Article 4 of the Blood Transfusion Service Board (Establishment) Order, 1965 (S.I. No. 78 of 1965 ) was amended by the addition thereto of the following paragraph: “(j) to organise and administer an eye banking service.” In order to operate a functional eye bank, two instruments have been identified to assess the suitability of donated corneas for transplantation. A slit lamp is used for a magnified, anatomical view of all cornea layers and a specular microscope is used to calculate the endothelial cell density and to ascertain the general health of the cornea.