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Deposit of glass fragments during femtosecond laser penetrating keratoplasty

  • Cornea
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Abstract

Background

To evaluate femtosecond laser interaction with the applanation lens during pre-programmed penetrating keratoplasty corneal cuts.

Methods

Three different-shaped penetrating keratoplasty dissections were performed on edematous corneas from bank eyes using a clinical femtosecond laser system (Intralase FS60) with energies higher than 2 μJ, and the “depth into glass” parameter at 50 μm, which is defined as the length over which the laser interacts with the glass of the applanation cone in contact with the cornea. Additional full-thickness corneal incisions were obtained with an experimental laser source with technical characteristics similar to the clinical laser. Following cutting, tissue sections were examined by optical microscopy (OM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS). After the procedure, the cones were examined by optical and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). A control was obtained by repeating the procedures and stopping the laser at the cornea–lens interface.

Results

OM and TEM analysis of the tissue showed the presence of solid particles of a maximum dimension of 1.5 μm on the epithelium and the anterior stroma, regardless of the laser system used to cut. The EELS technique revealed their composition as silicon dioxide. We believe that the fragments originate from the applanation cone, which is machined by the laser interacting with the glass in contact with cornea. This is consistent with the structures observed on the lens by OM and SEM. Radial and circumferential tracks on the surface of the lens are visible, corresponding to the laser path in penetrating keratoplasty protocols. No particles were found in the control samples.

Conclusions

When performing penetrating keratoplasty corneal cuts by infra-red femtosecond laser, the applanation lens in contact with the cornea is machined by the laser depending on the system parameters. As a consequence, microscopic glass fragments are created, which may remain in the tissue. This unwanted effect can be avoided by stopping the procedure at the lens-cornea interface.

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Acknowledgements

We gratefully acknowledge Dr. Patrick Sabatier of the Banque Française des Yeux (French Eye Bank) for the supply of the human corneas.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratoire d’Optique Appliquée, ENSTA – École Polytechnique –, CNRS UMR 7639, chemin de la Hunière, 91761, Palaiseau cedex, France

    Valeria Nuzzo, Karsten Plamann & Olivier Albert

  2. Laboratoire Biotechnologie et Œil, Université René Descartes – Paris V, EA 4063, Hôpital Hôtel Dieu, 1 place du parvis Notre Dame, 75181, Paris cedex 4, France

    Michèle Savoldelli, Florent Aptel & Jean-Marc Legeais

  3. Laboratoire de Mécanique, ENSTA, chemin de la Hunière, 91761, Palaiseau cedex, France

    Bertrand Reynier

  4. Laboratoire de Physique des Matériaux – PHYMAT, UMR 6630 - CNRS/Université de Poitiers, SP2MI - Téléport 2 - Bd M. & P. Curie, 86962, Chasseneuil-Futuroscope cedex, France

    Frédéric Pailloux & Thierry Cabioc’h

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  1. Valeria Nuzzo
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  2. Karsten Plamann
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  3. Michèle Savoldelli
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  8. Olivier Albert
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  9. Jean-Marc Legeais
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Correspondence to Valeria Nuzzo.

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The authors have no financial interest in the article’s subject matter, materials or treatments mentioned. There is no outside source of financial support. Also, the authors have full control of all primary data and they agree to allow Graefe’s Archive for Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology to review their data upon request.

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Nuzzo, V., Plamann, K., Savoldelli, M. et al. Deposit of glass fragments during femtosecond laser penetrating keratoplasty. Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol 247, 107–113 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00417-008-0948-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00417-008-0948-7

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