Measurement of light transmittance of cryopreserved human amniotic membrane.
OBJECTIVE
To measure the light transmission of human amniotic membrane (AM) and compare it with that of therapeutic soft contact lens (TSCL).


METHODS
Total light transmittance of each sample (4 AMs and 2 TSCLs) was measured in the 250- to 800-nm range by using a spectrophotometer.


RESULTS
The percent light transmission of TSCL was nearly 100% at wavelengths greater than 450 nm, decreased gradually in the sub-450-nm range, and reached 78.4 +/- 3.7 at 250 nm. In contrast, the percent transmission of the 4 AMs decreased gradually and continually throughout the spectrum as wavelength shortened. The transmission of light through AM dropped to less than 20% at 250 nm but remained 90% or more at wavelengths more than 600 nm.


CONCLUSIONS
Light transmittance properties of cryopreserved human AM and human cornea are relatively similar, but AM (and not cornea) allows transmission of 24.6% of UVC.
Ijiri
Shigeyuki
S
Department of Ophthalmology, Kanazawa University Graduate School of Medical Science, Kanazawa, Japan.
Kobayashi
Akira
A
Sugiyama
Kazuhisa
K
Tseng
Scheffer C G
SC
D000650:Amnion / Q000502:physiology*; D003261:Contact Lenses; D015925:Cryopreservation; D006801:Humans; D008027:Light; D009926:Organ Preservation