VENICE, Italy—Barberini Eyewear and Fondazione Banca degli Occhi del Veneto Onlus have agreed to support a study that the Foundation will conduct on the use of optical glass ophthalmic lenses with selective action against infrared radiation, verifying their protective effectiveness in patients affected by dry eyes. “Dry eye is a diffuse condition, which may be present alone or associated with other favorable ocular and systemic conditions. This agreement aims to evaluate the effect of the use of optical glass ophthalmic lenses, normal or graduated, by patients with moderate dry eyes," said Dr. Diego Ponzin, medical director of Fondazione Banca degli Occhi del Veneto Onlus.

Founded 30 years ago as a reference center for corneal transplants in Italy’s Veneto region and now also in the Friuli Venezia Giulia region, the Banca degli Occhi Foundation is the first eye bank in Europe for a number of selected and distributed tissues, and the first to be established in Italy. A reference point for the distribution of tissue for about 40 percent of corneal transplants carried out nationally, the structure cooperates with about 190 Italian surgeons and about 20 ophthalmologic centers located throughout Europe, Asia and Africa.

In addition to its core business of eye banking, the Foundation also carries out research projects in the broader ocular field within its research center. The Foundation’s dry eye study will examine the clinical conditions stimulated by ophthalmic lenses that are sensitive to radiation.