The rabbit ear chamber: a unique in vivo model for the continuous observation of implanted biomaterials

The rabbit ear chamber provides a unique system for viewing an in vivo environment from outside the body. The plastic chamber, modified for our use, is described. Once surgically implanted into the ear of a Laboratory Lop rabbit, a thin tissue bed which grows between the layers of the chamber can be viewed through the microscope. The absorption of biomaterials placed into the chamber can then be observed as a dynamic process.