Titanium coating of the Boston keratoprosthesis

Session Details

Session Title: Presented Poster Session: Cornea - Surgical

Session Date/Time: Saturday 05/09/2015 | 15:00-16:30

Paper Time: 16:00

Venue: Poster Village: Pod 4

First Author: : B.Salvador-Culla USA

Co Author(s): :    K. Jeong   P. Kolovou   H. Chiang   J. Chodosh   C. Dohlman   D. Kohane

Abstract Details

Purpose:

To test the feasibility of using titanium (Ti) and titanium oxide coatings to improve the biointegration of Boston Keratoprosthesis (B-KPro), and ultimately decrease the risk of various implant-associated complications, such as endophthalmitis.

Setting:

Massachusetts Eye & Ear Infirmary, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA Kohane Laboratory for Biomaterials and Drug Delivery, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA Langer Laboratory, Koch Institute, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA

Methods:

Cylindrical rods of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) were coated with titanium dioxide (TiO2) over a layer of polydopamine. Titanium rods with two different surface roughnesses (smooth and sandblasted) were also prepared. Some Ti rods were treated by oxygen plasma (_ox) in order to increase their superficial oxide layer. Rods were imaged by SEM, and surface roughness was estimated by AFM. Surface chemistry was analyzed by XPS. Adhesion force between rods and cornea ex vivo was measured to assess attachment. Titanium sleeves, smooth and sandblasted, were placed around the stem of the B-KPro, and tissue response was assessed after 1 month.

Results:

XPS and AFM showed successful deposition of TiO2 on polydopamine-coated PMMA. Cell viability was not affected adversely by any of the materials. After 14 days of incubation in porcine corneas, TiO2-coated PMMA rods and smooth titanium rods treated with oxygen plasma (Ti_ox) showed significantly higher adhesion forces than PMMA. In vivo implantation in rabbits showed a significant increase in the tissue adhesion when a sandblasted sleeve was implanted around the stem of the B-KPro.

Conclusions:

Based on our in vivo results, it is obvious to us that with a sleeve made of sandblasted titanium the rabbit cornea became very adherent to the stem. Therefore, we believe that incorporating such an approach may improve the adhesion with the donor cornea in humans as well and eventually decrease the rate of infection/endophthalmitis.

Financial Interest:

One of the authors is employed by a for-profit company with an interest in the subject of the presentation, One of the authors research is funded, fully or partially, by a company producing, developing or supplying the product or procedure presented