• OcuSoft, Inc. announces the availability of Retaine MGD ophthalmic emulsion, a new therapy for individuals suffering from dry eye syndrome and meibomian gland dysfunction. Retaine is packaged in 30 single-dose vials. For more information, visit www.ocusoft.com/retainemgd.

• CooperVision Inc. announces the launch of Proclear 1 Day Multifocal Daily Disposable contact lenses, which will provide presbyopic patients with improved vision at all distances and address age-related dryness. These lenses feature sphere powers from +6.00D to -10.00D (0.50D steps after -6.00D), a base curve of 8.7mm and a diameter of 14.2mm. The lens is designed with a single power profile that can accommodate patients up to +2.50 ADD power. For more information, visit www.coopervision.com/multifocal.

• ABB Concise’s Primary Eyecare Network (PEN) announces a new monthly webinar series, “The Road to Optometric Internet Marketing,” as a lead-in to their annual Preserving Independent Optometry (PIO) conference in August. The webinar is free and all participants will be provided with vouchers for a variety of products. For more information, visit www.primaryeye.net/education.

• WebMD launches Eye TV, which features on-demand video programming featuring real people successfully managing their eye health and vision. For more information, visit www.webmd.com/eye-health/default.htm.

• Prevent Blindness America (PBA) announces that the 2012 “Most Beautiful Eyes” contest will accept entries from June 25 through July 31 via their Facebook page, www.facebook.com/preventblindness. Parents of children up to 17 are encouraged to submit a photo. For more information, visit www.preventblindness.org.

Hydogen Peroxide Solutions Kill Fungi
When treating fungal eye infections, a recent study found that hydrogen peroxide-based contact lens care systems were significantly more effective than most multi-purpose contact lens solutions at killing fungi.

Researchers examined the effectiveness of two hydrogen peroxide lens care systems and five popular multipurpose solutions against biofilms of two strains of fungi: Fusarium solani and Fusarium oxysporum. Both fungal strains were susceptible to the hydrogen peroxide care solutions. Only two of the five multipurpose solutions were effective against F. solani and only one of the five was effective against F. oxysporum.

A complete summary of the study is available in the April 2012 issue of Optometry and Vision Science.

Project Glass To Initiate Public Testing
Project Glass, Google’s first foray into wearable computing, is testing new augmented-reality glasses. The working prototype includes a location-based component. Team members, including Babak Parviz, Steve Lee and Sebastian Thurn, announced the initiative to collect input from the general public.

The prototype version looks like a pair of wrap-around glasses with a clear display that sits above the eye. The glasses can stream information to the lenses and allow the wearer to send and receive messages through voice command. There is also a built-in camera to record video and take pictures. The Project Glass team is currently experimenting with designs that can be extended to different frames, including prescription glasses.
Team members began testing the prototype in April 2012. The New York Times reports that the glasses will be available to the public, at a cost of $250 to $600, by the end of 2012.

Digitalizing Patient Forms
Anoto and NextGen Healthcare Information Systems, introduce a new digital pen and paper technology to collect patient registration information.
The new software will require minimal training for staff and virtually no change in the current process being used by patients to fill out registration forms. The solution interprets the handwriting with high accuracy and provides the added benefit of verifying health history information quickly.
The paper forms are imprinted with the Anoto dot pattern, transforming them into a temporary intuitive data entry device. The information is stored in the digital pen, until it is uploaded to the patient’s record in the NextGen Ambulatory electronic health records (EHR) via a USB docking station or Bluetooth transmission. For more information, visit www.anoto.com and www.nextgen.com.