HumeurVitree : Revolutionizing Retinal Detachment Surgery

摘要

We have developed a novel, patented gel whose use as a vitreous substitute has the ability to transform the retinal detachment space. The polymer is a combination of hydrophobic N-isopropyl acrylamide (NIPAM), hydrophilic polyethylene glycol (PEG) and acrylic acid (AA), and a monomer containing a hydrolysable lactone ring. Poly(NIPAM) has unique thermal properties, giving our polymer combination a lower critical solution temperature near the body's temperature of 37°C. Practically, this means our polymer is a liquid at room temperature, allowing for easy injection into the eye, and will self-assemble into a gel at body temperature in an aqueous environment, such as the vitreous space. While poly(NIPAM) is typically opaque upon gelation, our formulation including hydrophilic PEG allows the material to maintain transparency. This would allow patients to see through the material, a feature not currently available with existing vitreous tamponades. allowing them to resume normal activities shortly after surgery instead of potentially weeks of downtime. Additionally, the lactone ring incorporated into the polymer backbone aids in polymer degradation over time, allowing the gel to be naturally cleared by the eye over many months. Patients could then be treated with a single surgery, instead of the multiple surgeries currently required to place then subsequently remove the tamponade material. Furthermore, as our material has a tailorable density, the gel formulation would not require patients to be "positioned" to increase the likelihood of a successful procedure. While this is a helpful for all patients, it is especially advantageous to those with inferior retinal tears or pediatric patients. Since this material is a gel, there would also be no limitations to air travel, which again would minimize the disruption to the patient and reduce the economic costs associated with these conditions. To date, we have tested this material in animals and it shows no toxicity to the ocular tissues, allowing it to remain in the eye for many months; some current products must be removed after a few weeks due to toxicity issues.