title: An overview of the development of artificial corneas with porous skirts and the use of PHEMA for such an application.
abstract: An overview of the efforts to develop functional polymeric artificial corneas (keratoprostheses) by incorporating a porous skirt is presented. The development of such a device by the author's group using poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (PHEMA) hydrogels, as a combination of their homogeneous and heterogeneous states, and the rationale of this choice are also discussed. The latest results of the clinical trials with the PHEMA keratoprosthesis in human patients indicate a lower risk of the complications traditionally associated with the implantation of artificial corneas.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Ophthalmology and Visual Science and Lions Eye Institute, University of Western Australia, Nedlands, Australia. tchirila@cyllene.uwa.edu.au
authors.forename: T V
authors.initials: TV
authors.lastname: Chirila
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000266:history; D001766:Blindness / Q000601:surgery; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic / Q000266:history; D003315:Cornea; D016039:Corneal Transplantation / Q000266:history; D049673:History, 20th Century; D049674:History, 21st Century; D006801:Humans; D008422:Materials Testing; D011102:Polyhydroxyethyl Methacrylate / Q000266:history; D019736:Prostheses and Implants / Q000266:history* / Q000639:trends; D011474:Prosthesis Design / Q000266:history
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D011102:Polyhydroxyethyl Methacrylate