PURPOSE To report deep corneal vascularization noted 3 years after intrastromal corneal ringsegments (Intacs) implantation for the treatment of keratoconus. METHODS A 33-year-old male keratoconus patient intolerant to rigid gas permeable contact lens in the right eye underwent Intacs implantation. At 2 years postoperatively, slit-lamp examination of the right eye revealed superficial corneal ...

In patients with respiratory failure, extracorporeal lung support can ensure the vital gas exchange via gas permeable membranes but its application is restricted by limited long-term stability and hemocompatibility of the gas permeable membranes, which are in contact with the blood. Endothelial cells lining these membranes promise physiological hemocompatibility and should enable prolonged appl...

Gas-permeable membrane technology is useful to recover ammonia (NH3) from liquid manures. In this study, phosphorus (P) recovery via MgCl2 precipitation was enhanced by combining it with NH3 recovery through gas-permeable membranes. Anaerobically digested swine wastewater containing approximately 2300 mg NH4+-N L-1 and 450 mg P L-1 was treated using submerged membranes plus low-rate aeration to...

PURPOSE To study the effects of extended contact lens wear (EW) on the movement of basal epithelial cells toward the corneal surface. METHODS Rabbits (n = 32) were injected with 5-bromo-2-deoxyuridine (BrdU) to label a group of proliferating basal epithelial cells, and, 24 hours later, one randomly chosen eye was fitted with a low- or medium-oxygen-transmissible (Dk/t) rigid gas permeable (RG...

3D printing has emerged as a method for directly printing complete microfluidic devices, although printing materials have been limited to oxygen-impermeable materials. We demonstrate the addition of gas permeable PDMS (Polydimethylsiloxane) membranes to 3D-printed microfluidic devices as a means to enable oxygen control cell culture studies. The incorporation of a 3D-printed device and gas-perm...

PURPOSE Contact lenses have assisted the refractive correction of keratoconus since the 19th century. In these case reports, the authors describe their experience with a new soft contact lens design. METHODS The Soft K is a new soft lens comprising a thick fenestrated design to fit in patients with mild to moderate corneal distortion and fitting problems or physical intolerance to rigid gas-p...

PURPOSE To quantitatively analyze laser scanning in vivo confocal microscopy (IVCM) images of all corneal layers in contact lens-wearing and noncontact lens-wearing keratoconus patients. METHODS The study population included rigid gas permeable (RGP) contact lens-wearing keratoconus patients (group 1; N = 29), keratoconus patients who did not wear contact lenses (group 2; N = 30), and subject...