Deposition of triamcinolone acetonide and its effect on soft tissue topography.

Bimodal imaging is utilized to characterize the topography of human tissue samples. The deposition of triamcinolone acetonide (TA) on various surfaces - including surgical human inner limiting membrane (ILM) samples and collagen fibrillar sheets - was studied. Changes in composition were well defined with bimodal imaging when TA deposition was examined on mica.

Surface modification of vitreoretinal surgical instruments with layer-by-layer films.

Commercially available vitreoretinal surgical forceps were modified with layer-by-layer (LbL) films designed to render them the ability to specifically adhere human the inner limiting membrane. Surgical forceps with two different geometries were etched, polished, and silanized before deposition of the films composed of poly (allylamine hydrochloride), poly (styrene sulfonate), and cationic gold nanoparticles. Stability and integrity of the LbL films was scrutinized by exposing the modified forceps to commercial disinfectant Cidex-OPA and then placing the instruments in a physiological-like HEPES buffer (pH 7.

Tuning the adhesion of layer-by-layer films to the physicochemical properties of inner limiting membranes using nanoparticles.

Retinal trauma is a serious concern for patients undergoing inner limiting membrane (ILM) peeling to correct for various vitreoretinal interface conditions. This mechanical trauma can be prevented by modifying the surface of surgical instruments to increase adhesion to the ILM. To this effect, we have studied the effects of roughness and surface charge on the adhesive properties of ILMs by utilizing layer-by-layer (LbL) films with embedded gold nanoparticles (LbL-AuNP films).

Quantitative analysis of human internal limiting membrane extracted from patients with macular holes.

We report the study of the morphology, topography, and adhesion properties of internal limiting membrane (ILM) from patients with macular holes. The quantitative analysis of human ILM could provide essential information toward the improvement of existing surgical instruments for more efficient and safer surgical removal of ILM. Imaging in air revealed the presence of globular structures in most of the samples analyzed which were coupled with fibrillar structures in some of the samples.

The effect of pre-polymeric solution and subsequent encapsulation in hydrogel membranes on the stability and biological activity of horse myoglobins.

Proteins are biological macromolecules which have a unique spatial conformation. Once this 3D spatial conformation is affected the protein's biological stability and activity can be severely limited. For these reasons, this investigation focuses on the effects of pre-polymeric solution components on the behavior of proteins to be encapsulated by the entrapment technique in anionic, cationic, and neutral hydrogel membranes.