J Surg Tech Proced | Volume 4, Issue 3 | Research Article | Open Access

Curved-Tip Disposable Injector (OUReP Injector) to Insert Photoelectric Dye-Coupled Polyethylene Film (OUReP) as Retinal Prosthesis into Subretinal Space of Rabbit Eyes

Toshihiko Matsuo1,2*, Chie Matsuo1, Tetsuya Uchida3, Koichiro Yamashita3, Tenu Tanaka3, Yusuke Kawakami4, Toshiya Hitomi4, Kanji Taga4, Tatsuya Sanada4 and Yusuke Yamashita5

1Department of Regenerative and Reconstructive Medicine (Ophthalmology), Okayama University Graduate
School of Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering in Health Systems, Japan
2Department of Ophthalmology, Okayama University Hospital and Okayama University Medical School, Japan
3Department of Polymer Materials Science, Okayama University Faculty of Engineering and Graduate School of
Natural Science and Technology, Japan
4Minori Industry Co. Ltd., Japan
5Shin Nippon Biomedical Laboratories Ltd., Japan

*Correspondance to: Toshihiko Matsuo 

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Abstract

The photoelectric dye-coupled thin polyethylene film functions as a novel type of retinal prosthesis in subretinal space of the eye. We previously reported a novel disposable injector to insert the thin film into subretinal space of the rabbit eye by vitreous surgery. The injection system composed of two separate parts, injector and loader. A circular film in 5 mm to 10 mm diameter was pulled into a transparent tube of the loader with a commercial 25-gauge forceps. The loader tube was joined with a sleeve to tube tip of the injector. The film in the loader was pushed with a plunger for the loader into the injector tube tip. The loader with the sleeve was removed from the injector tip, and the tube tip with the film was filled with solution. This study reported a small-bore curved-tip disposable injector with outer diameter of 1.6 mm. A curved-tip polypropylene tube was formed by the process of heating and cooling of the tube inserted with a curved guide wire. The plunger for the curved-tip tube was made of a polyphenylsulfone tip connected with a press-fitting inner polypropylene tube to a nylon rod. Bleb retinal detachment in 4 surgically aphakic eyes of rabbits were induced by infusing solution into subretinal space with a 38-gauge polyimide tip, and a retinal tear was made at the edge of retinal detachment with 25-gauge diathermy. The injector tip with the rolled film in 6 mm diameter was inserted from 2 mm wide scleral incision into vitreous and then into subretinal space. The rolled films were released into subretinal space with the tip end inserted into the retinal tear, and the released films were confirmed to stay under the retina with no additional aid. Dissection one month after surgeries confirmed successful implantation of 4 films into subretinal space of each rabbit eye. The curved-tip injector could release the rolled film into the subretinal space without additional effort, compared with the straight-tip injector, and would help surgeons implant photoelectric dye-coupled thin film retinal prosthesis easily at vitreous surgery.

Keywords:

Dye-coupled thin film retinal prosthesis; Curved-tip injector; Photoelectric dye; Rabbit; 25G vitrectomy

Citation:

Matsuo T, Matsuo C, Uchida T, Yamashita K, Tanaka T, Kawakami Y, et al. Curved-Tip Disposable Injector (OUReP Injector) to Insert Photoelectric Dye-Coupled Polyethylene Film (OUReP) as Retinal Prosthesis into Subretinal Space of Rabbit Eyes. J Surg Tech Proced. 2020; 4(3): 1040..

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