Cell and Tissue Banking

, Volume 17, Issue 2, pp 233–239 | Cite as

Polarization of human donor corneas

  • Mohit Parekh
  • Alessandro Ruzza
  • Stefano Ferrari
  • Gianni Salvalaio
  • Hossein Elbadawy
  • Diego Ponzin
  • Eugenio Lipari
Original Paper
First Online:
Received:
Accepted:
  • 104 Downloads

Abstract

To investigate the de-orientation effect of DSAEK grafts by observing the cross patterns and polarization power of human donor corneas using a polarizing device (Lumaxis®). Forty human donor corneas were placed in small petri-plates with epithelial side facing up. Polarizing power (arbitrary unit) and crosses were monitored and recorded by the software. The tissue was marked at ‘Superior’ position to ensure that the base and the polarizer are in alignment with each other after the cut. The anterior lamellar cut was performed using microkeratome. The lenticule was placed back in the same position as marked to mimic the alignment. The tissue was further rotated by 45° ensuring that the base of the cornea and the polarizer were in alignment. The polarization power and ‘crosses’ were identified at each step. The average of forty corneas from pre-cut to post-45° angular change showed statistically significant difference (p < 0.05) in terms of polarizing power. The cross-shaped pattern deformed and lost the sharpness towards 45° angle. However, multiple variances in terms of ‘cross-patterns’ were observed throughout the study. Lumaxis® was able to determine the worst quality tissue in terms of polarization (no black zone and crosses). Despite the quality of cross pattern which can be used as an additional objective parameter to evaluate the optical properties of the corneal tissue, this preliminary study needs to be further justified in terms of clinical relevance whether polarization changes with oriented or de-oriented grafts have any effects and consequences on the visual acuity.

Keywords

Cornea Polarizer Lumaxis® Isogyres Eye bank 
This is a preview of subscription content, log in to check access.

Notes

Acknowledgments

The authors do not have any acknowledgements. Authors MP, AR, GS, SF, HE and DP are employed by the Veneto Eye Bank Foundation and author EL is a self funded author who also is the owner of the described device.

Author contributions

MP, AR and GS participated in the design of the study, experiments and analysis, MP, SF, HE, DP and EL participated in the design of the study, interpretation and statistics and drafted the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Compliance with ethical standards

Conflict of interest

Mr. Eugenio Lipari, Phronema srl, is the owner of the patented Lumaxis® technology with the patent numbers PCT/IB2013/058263 and PCT/IB2014/063482. Mr. Lipari has potential financial conflict of interest. All the authors from the Veneto Eye Bank Foundation have no financial conflicts.

Supplementary material

10561_2016_9546_MOESM1_ESM.docx (10 kb)
Supplementary material 1 (DOCX 10 kb)
10561_2016_9546_MOESM2_ESM.mp4 (5.4 mb)
Supplementary material 2 (MP4 5564 kb)
10561_2016_9546_MOESM3_ESM.mp4 (2.4 mb)
Supplementary material 3 (MP4 2408 kb)

References

  1. Bone RA, Draper G (2007) Optical anisotropy of the human cornea determined with a polarizing microscope. Appl Opt 46:8351–8357CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  2. Bueno JM, Vargas-Martin F (2002) Measurements of the corneal birefringence with a liquid-crystal imaging polariscope. Appl Opt 41:116–124CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  3. Cope WT, Wolbarsht ML, Yamanashi BS (1978) The corneal polarisation cross. J Opt Soc Am 68:1139–1141CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  4. Donohue DJ, Stoyanov BJ, McCally RL, Farrell RA (1995) Numerical modeling of the cornea’s lamellar structure and birefringence properties. J Opt Soc Am A: 12:1425–1438CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  5. Lekner J (1995) Isogyre formation by isotropic refracting bodies. Ophthalmic Physiol Opt 15:69–72CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  6. Maurice DM (1957) The structure and transparency of the cornea. J Physiol (Lond) 136:263–286CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  7. Nishida T (2005) Cornea. In: Krachmer J, Mannis M, Holland E (eds) Cornea: fundamentals, diagnosis and management, vol 1. Elsevier-Mosby, Philadelphia, pp 3–26Google Scholar
  8. Pierscionek B (1993) Explanation of isogyre formation by the eye lens. Ophthalmic Physiol Opt 13:91–94CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  9. Pierscionek B, Chan D (1993) Mathematical decription of isogyre formation in refracting structures. Ophthalmic Physiol Opt 13:212–215CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  10. Pierscionek Barbara K, Lekner John (1997) Polarization patterns in refracting structures. JOSA A 14:676–681CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  11. Pierscionek B, Reytomas R (1996) Light intensity distributions in refracting structures placed between crossed polarizers. Exp Eye Res 62:573–580CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  12. Pierscionek Barbara K, Weale Robert A (1997) Is there a link between corneal structure and the ‘corneal cross’? Eye 11:361–364CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  13. Stanworth A, Naylor EJ (1950) The polarization optics of the isolated cornea. Br J Ophthalmol 34:201–211CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentralGoogle Scholar
  14. Stanworth A, Naylor EJ (1953) Polarized light studies of the cornea. J Exp Biol 30:160–169Google Scholar
  15. VanBlokland GJ, Verhelst Se (1987) Corneal polarisation in the living human eye explained with a biaxial model. J OptSocAm 4:82–90Google Scholar

Copyright information

© Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2016

Authors and Affiliations

  • Mohit Parekh
    • 1
  • Alessandro Ruzza
    • 1
  • Stefano Ferrari
    • 1
  • Gianni Salvalaio
    • 1
  • Hossein Elbadawy
    • 1
  • Diego Ponzin
    • 1
  • Eugenio Lipari
    • 2
  1. 1.International Center for Ocular Physiopathology (ICOP)The Veneto Eye Bank FoundationMestre, VeniceItaly
  2. 2.Phronema srlBariItaly

Personalised recommendations