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Quality of corneal lamellar cuts quantified using atomic force microscopy
Noël M Ziebarth1, Janice Dias1, Volkan Hürmeriç1
1From the Biomedical Atomic Force Microscopy Laboratory (Ziebarth, Dias), Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Miami College of Engineering, Coral Gables, and the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute (Hürmeriç, Shousha, Culbertson, Yoo) and the Department of Physiology and Biophysics (Yau, Moy), University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA.
Atomic force microscopy (AFM) quantified femtosecond laser corneal dissections, revealing 300 μm low-energy cuts yielded the smoothest surfaces. This data aids in optimizing outcomes for refractive and lamellar keratoplasty surgeries.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Biomedical Engineering
- Materials Science
Background:
- Femtosecond lasers offer precise corneal cutting for refractive and lamellar surgeries.
- Quantifying the quality of these laser-induced dissections is crucial for surgical success.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantitatively assess the cut quality of femtosecond laser lamellar dissections using atomic force microscopy (AFM).
Main Methods:
- Human cadaver eyes underwent lamellar dissections with a femtosecond laser at varying energy levels and depths (200-400 μm).
- Corneal lamellar surfaces were analyzed using AFM to obtain quantitative parameters like root-mean-square deviation.
- Environmental scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used for qualitative control analysis.
Main Results:
- AFM analysis indicated that low-energy cuts at a 300 μm depth produced the smoothest lamellar surfaces.
- Qualitative SEM imaging corroborated these findings.
Conclusions:
- AFM provides valuable quantitative data for evaluating femtosecond laser corneal dissections.
- Optimizing laser parameters based on AFM analysis can enhance patient outcomes in keratoplasty.
