VRPI Thermoresponsive Reversibly Attachable Patch for Temporary Intervention in Ocular Trauma.

摘要

Penetrating injuries to the eye can lead to drops in intraocular pressure and subsequent retinal detachment and loss of vision, if not managed properly. The current standard of care to close sclerotomies and other perforations of the sclera are to place sutures which are uncomfortable and can lead to abrasion and infection from eye rubbing. Glues are currently not approved in the US for closure of scleral tears. Here we fabricate and test, both in vitro and in vivo, sutureless wound closure patches for the eye. The enabling technology is a thermoreversible adhesive (poly n-isopropyl acrylamide), pNIPAM, which is adhesive to tissues at body temperature and non-adhesive at room temperature. Here we prepare a series of different pNIPAM scleral patches and test two key properties in vitro: 1) ability to survive ETO sterilization and extreme temperature, and adhesion strength to scleral tissue both in a uniaxial pull test and in an in vitro, porcine tissue eye model. Results are compared against cyanoacryalte glue, a commonly used medical adhesive.