Design of a pressurization chamber for recordings of retinal blood flow in the "in vivo eyecup" preparation in the rat.
One major goal in our laboratory is development of an "in vivo eyecup" preparation in the rat. This preparation, which involves removal of the cornea and lens, maintains the normal vascular supply of the retina while allowing introduction of pharmacological agents into the medium that bathes this organ. Since we are interested in measuring retinal blood flow, it is sometimes necessary to repressurize the eye to maintain normal perfusion pressure across the retinal vasculature. The goal of this project was to develop a mechanism that allows repressurization of the in vivo eyecup after removal of the front of the eye. The basic design of this chamber consists of an eye ring to mechanically stabilize the eye and a pressurization chamber that attaches to this eye ring. The eye ring is connected to a base via a double hinged arm and can be locked in place. The pressurization chamber is attached to the top of this ring and sealed using an O-ring with a pressure fit. The top of the pressure chamber is composed of a clear polymer, allowing for photic stimulation of the retina, as well as introduction of laser light for blood flow determination. The pressure within the chamber is regulated by an elevated fluid-filled reservoir.
AufderHeide
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Department of Mechanical Engineering, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, 5500 Wabash Avenue, Terre Haute, IN 47803, USA.
Ahmed
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J
D000818:Animals; D001794:Blood Pressure; D003315:Cornea / Q000601:surgery; D004867:Equipment Design; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007429:Intraocular Pressure; D007908:Lens, Crystalline / Q000601:surgery; D008954:Models, Biological; D008961:Models, Structural; D009885:Ophthalmology / Q000295:instrumentation*; D011312:Pressure; D051381:Rats; D012039:Regional Blood Flow; D012171:Retinal Vessels / Q000502:physiology*