Developing A Transparent Artificial Cornea For People With Visual Impairments

Damage to nan cornea affects millions of group worldwide. Empa researchers are moving connected a transparent, biocompatible implant from nan 3D printer. This allows defects to beryllium repaired seamlessly and permanently. The task could now beryllium started acknowledgment to a generous aid from a foundation.

Like a windowpane, nan transparent cornea, is nan outermost furniture of insubstantial that protects our eyes. If this 500 to 600 micrometer-thin insubstantial is damaged by infections, injuries aliases malformations, imagination impairment aliases moreover blindness tin occur. Millions of group worldwide are affected by corneal damage, but only astir 100,000 of them each twelvemonth tin beryllium treated pinch a corneal transplant. The reason: Demand for donated insubstantial is importantly higher than its availability.

A squad of researchers from Empa, nan University of Zurich, nan Zurich Veterinary Hospital and Radboud University successful nan Netherlands is truthful processing a self-adhesive implant that is not limited connected insubstantial donations and does not origin a rejection reaction. "The ground for nan implant is simply a biocompatible hydrogel made of collagen and hyaluronic acid," says Markus Rottmar from Empa's Biointerfaces laboratory successful St. Gallen.

Artificial cornea supports healing

Private support that makes a difference

The task was afloat financed acknowledgment to a generous aid from a foundation. Empa's Zukunftsfonds raises backstage third-party costs for specified pioneering investigation projects that are not yet supported otherwise. Would you besides for illustration to springiness our investigation an further boost? Further accusation including a nexus to our aid shape tin beryllium recovered astatine www.empa.ch/web/zukunftsfonds.