Abstract
Artificial corneas or keratoprostheses are intended to replace diseased or damaged cornea in the event that vision cannot be restored using donor cornea tissue. A new class of artificial cornea comprising a combination of poly (2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) and poly (methyl methacrylate) was developed which was fabricated using a gas foaming technique. Referred to as the gas-foamed KPro, it was designed to permit clear vision and secure host biointegration to facilitate long-term stability of the device. In vitro assessments show cell growth into the body of the porous edge or skirt of the gas-foamed KPro. The optically transparent center (i.e., core) of the device demonstrates 85 - 90% of light transmittance in the 500 - 700 nm wavelength range. Mechanical tensile data indicates that the gas-foamed KPro is mechanically stable enough to maintain its structure in the ocular environment and also during implantation. The gas-foamed KPro may provide an alternate option for cornea replacement that minimizes post implantation tissue melting, thereby achieving long-term stability in the ocular environment.
Original language | English (US) |
---|---|
Pages (from-to) | 3396-3403 |
Number of pages | 8 |
Journal | Materials Science and Engineering C |
Volume | 33 |
Issue number | 6 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Aug 1 2013 |
Keywords
- Artificial cornea
- Biointegration
- Poly (2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate)
- Poly (methyl methacrylate)
- Skirt-core model
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- General Medicine