Ocular Endorsements

The Eye Bank Association of America's Medical Advisory Board has released a Medical Advisory on November 20th, 2014 that includes changes to the EBAA standards. Changes will become effective January 1st, 2015, except where noted in the advisory.

Key dates for incorporation of ISBT 128 include:

June 30^th, 2015 – EBAA member eye banks must register with ICCBBA for a Facility Identification Number by this date. In addition, eye banks shall utilize ICCBBA Eye Bank Technical Advisory Group nomenclature to describe ocular tissue classes and attributes by this date.

January 1^st, 2016 – All ocular tissue distributed for surgical use shall utilize ISBT 128 identifiers. This includes the Donation Identification Number and Product Code.

January 1^st, 2017 – All ocular tissue distributed internationally shall be labeled using ISBT 128 data structures within two-dimensional (2-D) symbols (Data Matrix).

View the full medical advisory, here.

EBTAG Joint Statement

The Boards of the Association of Eye Banks of Asia, Eye Bank Association of Australia and New Zealand, Eye Bank Association of America, Eye Bank Association of India, European Eye Bank Association, Pan-American Association of Eye Banks, and ICCBBA confirm their support for the international use of ISBT 128 in the coding of ocular tissue.

The Boards of the above organizations encourage Eye Banks to:

• Adopt this standard terminology for use in communications and in the labeling of ocular tissue grafts;
• Implement ISBT 128 globally unique donation identification for ocular tissue grafts; and
• Move towards full implementation of ISBT 128 nomenclature, coding and labeling in accordance with guidance published by the Eye Bank Technical Advisory Group.

View the joint statement here.

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