Evaluation of keratoprosthesis biointegration in situ with quantitative ultrasound backscatter microscopy

Abstract

In a previous preliminary study the authors have shown that 50 MHz ultrasound microscope coupled with the spectral analysis of radio frequency signal enable the imaging and evaluation of the biointegration of polymer implants used as support of keratoprosthesis (artificial cornea). In particular, the authors have demonstrated that the level of apparent backscatter was sensitive to the change in the polymer pore content (fluid or cells). In the current study, a larger number of polymer implants (n=21) at different colonization stages were explored in vitro and the authors investigated the potential of the frequency variation of both ultrasonic backscatter and attenuation coefficients to control and assess in situ the progressive biocolonization of the material. Quantitative echographic findings were correlated to histologic data which established the cell density in each specimen.