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Synthetic cornea offers hope to thousands
Donor corneas are extremely rare, but for 40,000 people in Europe corneal transplantation from donors offer the only hope of addressing blindness in one or both eyes. That was, until Dr. Joachim Storsberg of the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Polymer Research IAP in Potsdam-Golm created the first artificial cornea, which has been successfully trialed and has been in use now since 2009. For this contribution to medical science, Dr. Storsberg has been awarded the 2010 Joseph von Fraunhofer Prize.
The specifications for a synthetic cornea are precise: the synthetic material must bond with the cells of the surrounding tissue, but it must not bond in the middle optical region of the artificial cornea. The outer side of the cornea must moisten with tear fluids and allow the eyelid to slide across without friction. Any deviation from these specifications would decrease the effectiveness of the cornea, impair sight, and perhaps require a new prosthesis after a short time.
The specifications for a synthetic cornea are precise: the synthetic material must bond with the cells of the surrounding tissue, but it must not bond in the middle optical region of the artificial cornea. The outer side of the cornea must moisten with tear fluids and allow the eyelid to slide across without friction. Any deviation from these specifications would decrease the effectiveness of the cornea, impair sight, and perhaps require a new prosthesis after a short time.
