Microscopic analysis of structural changes in diode-laser-welded corneal stroma

Paolo Matteini; Francesca Rossi; Luca Menabuoni; Roberto Pini

doi:10.1117/12.700285

5 March 2007 Microscopic analysis of structural changes in diode-laser-welded corneal stroma

Paolo Matteini, Francesca Rossi, Luca Menabuoni, Roberto Pini

Proceedings Volume 6426, Ophthalmic Technologies XVII; 642614 (2007) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.700285
Event: SPIE BiOS, 2007, San Jose, California, United States

Abstract

Diode laser welding of the cornea is a technique used to provide immediate sealing of corneal wounds: the cut is stained with a water solution of Indocyanine Green and is then irradiated with an 810 nm laser at low power densities (12-16 W/cm²), which induces a localized heating of the stroma in the range 55-66 °C range. In this study, we present a microscopic analysis aimed at evaluating the structural modifications induced in the stromal collagen of pig eyes during the laser welding of corneal wounds. Cornea samples obtained from twenty freshly-enucleated eyes were cut with a pre-calibrated knife and subjected to the laser welding procedure. Histological slices of the laser-welded stroma were examined by means of optical and transmission electron microscopy. These analyses indicated that bridges of lamellar structures crossed the wound edges with no presence of a coagulation effect. After laser welding, collagen fibrils appeared differently oriented among themselves in comparison with those of the control samples, but with similar mean fibril diameters. The laser-induced effect appeared to be confined to the ICG stained area of the cut walls, and no heat damage was observed at the operative power levels of laser corneal welding.

Citation Download Citation

Paolo Matteini, Francesca Rossi, Luca Menabuoni, and Roberto Pini "Microscopic analysis of structural changes in diode-laser-welded corneal stroma", Proc. SPIE 6426, Ophthalmic Technologies XVII, 642614 (5 March 2007); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.700285

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