Abstract
Abstract: :
Purpose: To development of an injectable hydrogel intra–ocular lens material capable of accommodating. Our previous experience with hydrogle materials indicated that it is not possible for a uniform single component hydrophilic polymer system to have the mechanical and optical properties required for an accommodating IOL. We therefore investigated the natural lens and realized that the nature has separated the mechanical properties from the optical properties. Based on this two–component fiber reinforced system we developed a hydrogel system capable of accommodating. Methods: Water–soluble semi–flexible synthetic polymers were used as a mechanical scaffold. To this polymer solution was added synthetic and biological nanoparticles; the nanoparticles included proteo–mimetics, silica, bovine serum albumin, crystallins, and nanogles. This two component system was gelled and its mechanical and optical properties investigated. In addition, the composition was injected into a pre–evacuated porcine lens capsular bag. Results: Of over a dozen composition evaluated, we observed that the nanocomposite hydrogels containing hydrophilized silica (∼3nm) with polyacrylamide scaffold has the correct combination of mechanical (0.4 kPa, relaxation time constant of 60 ms) and optical properties (refractive index of 1.405, > 99% transmission). The youth–full porcine lens has a modulus of 1.2 kPa, time constant of 48 ms, RI of 1.405) Conclusions:
Keywords: aging: visual performance • cataract • anterior segment