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Published January 2021 | Supplemental Material + Published
Journal Article Open

Thermal Effects on Fluid Mixing in the Eye

Abstract

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of central vision loss in the developed world. Wet AMD can be managed through serial intravitreal injections of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) agents. However, sometimes the treatment is ineffective. Given that the half-life of the drug is limited, inefficient mixing of the injected drug in the vitreous chamber of the eye may contribute to the ineffectiveness. Here, we introduce thermal heating as a means of enhancing the mixing-process in the vitreous chamber and investigate parameters that potentially influence its effectiveness. Our in vitro studies reveal the importance of the heating location on the eye. A significant increase in the mixing and delivery of drugs to the targeted area (the macula) could be achieved by placing heating pads to induce a current, against gravity, in the vitreous. The presented results can potentially help in the development of a better strategy for intravitreal injection, subsequently improving the quality of patient care.

Additional Information

© 2020 Biomedical Engineering. Received 27 December 2019; Accepted 12 May 2020; Published 26 May 2020. We thank the Charyk Family Foundation for the funding support for this work. We are grateful to Alessio Tamborini for his support in the refractive index experiment, and to Dr. Cong Wang and Dr. Chris Roh for productive discussions.

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Published - Huang-Gharib2021_Article_ThermalEffectsOnFluidMixingInT.pdf

Supplemental Material - 10439_2020_2534_MOESM1_ESM.pdf

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Created:
August 22, 2023
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October 20, 2023