title: A comparative study on the viscoelastic properties of human and animal lenses.
abstract: A new method of compression between two parallel plates is used to measure the viscoelastic properties of whole and decapsulated human lenses and compare them with other animal species. Compressive load relaxation was performed by deforming the lens by 10% and measuring the force relaxation response for 100 s to obtain thickness, stiffness and relaxation of the induced loading force and Maxwell parameters for human, monkey, porcine and leporine whole and decapsulated lenses. Thickness and percentage loading force relaxation increased linearly with lens age, whereas stiffness and induced loading force increased exponentially. Human and monkey lenses aged at different rates. Loading force relaxation in a generalized Maxwell model was described by three time constants ranging from 1 to 1000 s. Compressive load relaxation is a very versatile method to study the viscoelastic properties of whole and decapsulated lenses and potentially also artificial accommodating lenses. The data presented in the study will help researchers choose the most suitable animal lenses based on the desired properties and age to be mimicked from the human lenses.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, P.O. Box 196, 9700 AD Groningen, The Netherlands. p.k.sharma@med.umcg.nl
authors.forename: P K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Busscher
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Terwee
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Koopmans
authors.forename: T G
authors.initials: TG
authors.lastname: van Kooten
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D002648:Child; D019245:Compressive Strength / Q000502:physiology*; D004547:Elastic Tissue / Q000502:physiology; D004548:Elasticity / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007903:Lens Capsule, Crystalline / Q000502:physiology; D007908:Lens, Crystalline / Q000502:physiology*; D008253:Macaca mulatta; D008875:Middle Aged; D018583:Pliability / Q000502:physiology*; D011817:Rabbits; D034421:Sus scrofa; D055815:Young Adult