Six dyes were chosen for the present study: light green SF yellowish (LGSF), E68, bromophenol blue (BPB), Chicago blue (CB), rhodamine G6 ,and rhodulinblau-basic 3 (RDB-B3). ICG (Pulsion, Munich, Germany) was used as a reference. All dyes were dissolved and diluted in balanced saline (BSS plus; Alcon Laboratories Inc., Fort Worth, TX) and concentrations of 1.0%, 0.5%, 0.2%, and 0.05% were obtained. Dry ICG powder was first dissolved with sterile water provided by the manufacturer, resulting in a 0.5% solution, and then further diluted with balanced salt solution to a concentration of 0.05%. The dyes were then used to stain lens capsules and ERMs removed during intraocular surgery. Immediately after removal, the tissue was placed on a glass slide and covered with a few drops of the dye. After 1 minute, the dye was carefully removed by irrigation with the salt solution. The lens capsule and epiretinal tissue was then evaluated macroscopically and by light microscopy. The staining effect was subjectively graded as excellent, good, fair, or absent by one unmasked coauthor (SGP), and photographs were taken. In addition, we evaluated the staining characteristics of the lens capsule in enucleated porcine eyes with a postmortem time of 9 hours. The dyes were injected into the air-filled anterior chamber and removed by irrigation after 1 minute. Then, the cornea was removed, and a capsulorrhexis was performed with a bent needle. All procedures were recorded on video. Rhodamine 6G and RDB-B3 were not tested in this setting, because these dyes showed toxic effects in our cell culture model, as described later.