title: Determining the local origin of hydroxyl radical generation during phacoemulsification.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the local origin of hydroxyl radicals during phacoemulsification using an ultrasonic phacoemulsification device that includes longitudinal and torsional modalities.
  
  
  METHODS
  Chemistry and Biochemistry Department, Utah State University, Logan, Utah, USA.
  
  
  METHODS
  Experimental study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Experiments were conducted using the Infiniti Vision System and Ozil handpiece. Hydroxyl radical concentrations during longitudinal and torsional phacoemulsification were quantitated as malondialdehyde (MDA) determined spectrophotometrically using the deoxyribose assay. The difference between the total concentration found in the aspirated solution at steady-state concentrations and the pre-aspirate levels deductively determined the concentration of MDA formed along the interior of the sonicating tip. The time to reach 50% of steady state as a function of reaction vessel volume was determined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean maximum for torsional ultrasound at 100% amplitude was 7.70 nM ± 0.38 (SD), 91.1% of which was generated outside the tip. During longitudinal ultrasound at 100% power, MDA concentration in the aspirated solution was 29.5 ± 0.3 nM, 71.6% of which was generated outside the tip. The time (seconds) to reach 50% of maximum for longitudinal ultrasound using 5 mL, 10 mL, and 20 mL reaction vessels was 12.6 ± 1.5, 21.0 ± 1.5, and 25.3 ± 3.4, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although a significantly greater proportion of the hydroxyl radicals generated during ultrasound modality were formed outside the phaco tip (91.1% torsional; 71.6% longitudinal), torsional ultrasound generated only about one-fourth the amount of MDA as longitudinal ultrasound in total and about one-third that generated outside the tip (7.02 nM versus 21.1 nM).
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  No author has a financial or proprietary interest in any material or method mentioned. Additional disclosures are found in the footnotes.
authors: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Utah State University, Logan, Utah, USA.
authors: Steven D
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