Free Papers

Ultrastructural investigations on hydrophilic and hydrophobic intraocular lenses using X-ray micro-computed tomography (µCT)

Free Paper Details

First Author: T.Brockmann GERMANY

Co Author(s):    S. Maenz   C. Brockmann   J. Bossert   E. Bertelmann           

Abstract Details

Purpose:

Analysis of morphological properties of hydrophilic and hydrophobic acrylic intraocular lenses using X-ray micro-computed tomography (µCT).

Setting:

All IOLs were investigated at the Otto Schott Institute for Materials Research, Friedrich Schiller University Jena in Jena/Germany.

Methods:

Thirteen commercially available +23.0 diopter intraocular lenses (IOL) of different manufacturers were investigated. Thereof, seven hydrophilic IOLs (Lentis L-313 (Oculentis), Lentis LS-313Y (Oculentis), Lentis L-312 (Oculentis), Incise (Bausch + Lomb), Akreaos AO (Bausch + Lomb), Asphina (Zeiss) and Asphina Yellow (Zeiss)); and six hydrophobic IOLs (iStert 251 (Hoya), iSert 254 (Hoya), Tecnis ZCB00 (AMO / Johnson & Johnson), enVista (Bausch + Lomb), SN60WF (Alcon), SA60AT (Alcon)) were analyzed. Due to the hydrophilic nature, the methodology was adapted for IOLs with a significant water content.

Results:

All IOLs were measured non-destructively with a resolution of <10³ µm³ per voxel. Within the IOL materials homogeneous X-ray densities were observed in all cases. No differences between IOLs with and without blue filters could be found. In hydrophilic IOLs, there was no evidence of intrastructural densities, which may indicate calcifications. Special attention was paid on the customized methodology to examine hydrophilic IOLs by µCT. In hydrophobic IOLs, there were no indications of intrastructural vacuoles, which may indicate glistenings. A special feature was that the IOL material demonstrated higher X-ray density in the border area (cladding). Thereon, further investigations were carried out on two IOLs (ZCB00 and SN60WF) by using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), which provided evidence for different degrees of acrylic polymerization between the lens shell and core.

Conclusions:

X-ray micro-computed tomography (µCT) is a new, efficient and non-destructive method for assessing material properties of IOLs, which can be applied for hydrophilic and hydrophobic materials. The method can provide new insights, particularly in the discussion of undesirable material alterations, such as glistenings or opacifications that may occur in hydrophilic and hydrophobic IOLs.

Financial Disclosure:

-