title: Experimental evaluation of ophthalmic devices and solutions using rabbit models.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyze and compare the geometry of the anterior segment of rabbit and human eyes, with relevance for the evaluation of intraocular lenses, and to review rabbit models used in our laboratory for the evaluation of different ophthalmic devices and solutions.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifteen rabbit and 15 human eyes (10 phakic and 5 pseudophakic/group) obtained postmortem were used. Anterior-posterior length, equatorial diameter, and white-to-white (corneal diameter) were measured with calipers. The eyes were then analyzed with a very high-frequency ultrasound (Artemis, Ultralink) for measurements of the anterior chamber depth, and anterior chamber and ciliary sulcus diameters. The capsular bag diameter was measured with calipers from a posterior view, and the diameter and thickness of the crystalline lenses were measured after their excision from the phakic eyes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Although the size of the rabbit eye is overall smaller than the size of the human eye, the dimensions of the anterior segment of rabbit eyes are generally larger. The differences between rabbit and human eyes were statistically significant (Wilcoxon rank sum test) in terms of anterior-posterior length, equatorial diameter, white-to-white measurements (P < 0.0001), anterior chamber diameter (P = 0.0004), ciliary sulcus diameter (P = 0.0012), and crystalline lens diameter and thickness (P = 0.0003).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Experimental evaluation of design features of new phakic intraocular lenses in rabbit eyes may be inconclusive without adaptation of their size/design, contrary to the evaluation of new pseudophakic lenses by implantation in the capsular bag. The rabbit is a very valuable model for the experimental evaluation of different ophthalmic devices and solutions.
authors.affiliation: John A. Moran Eye Center, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA. liliana.werner@hsc.utah.edu
authors.forename: Liliana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Werner
authors.forename: Jesse
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chew
authors.forename: Nick
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mamalis
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002386:Cataract / Q000473:pathology*; D002387:Cataract Extraction / Q000379:methods*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006801:Humans; D019654:Lens Implantation, Intraocular / Q000379:methods*; D007908:Lens, Crystalline / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D007910:Lenses, Intraocular; D009883:Ophthalmic Solutions; D011474:Prosthesis Design; D011817:Rabbits / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D014463:Ultrasonography
chemical_list: D009883:Ophthalmic Solutions