Abstract
We demonstrate that an optically trapped silica bead can be used as a local probe to measure the micro-rheology of the vitreous humor. The Brownian motion of the bead was observed using a fast camera and the micro-rheology determined by analysis of the time-dependent mean-square displacement of the bead. We observed regions of the vitreous that showed different degrees of viscoelasticity, along with the homogeneous and inhomogeneous nature of different regions. The motivation behind this study is to understand the vitreous structure, in particular changes due to aging, allowing more confident prediction of pharmaceutical drug behavior and delivery within the vitreous humor.
Highlights
The adult human vitreous humor occupies a volume of approximately 4 ml in the posterior segment of the eye in the space between the lens and the retina
Since the degree of viscosity and elasticity are modulated by the relative amount of hyaluronan and collagen, respectively [6], non-uniform distribution of these major components leads to variations in the viscoelastic properties across the vitreous humor [6,7,8,9]
We have demonstrated that optical tweezers provide a suitable method for probing the micro-rheology of the vitreous humor
Summary
The adult human vitreous humor occupies a volume of approximately 4 ml in the posterior segment of the eye in the space between the lens and the retina. The principle protein constituent, is stabilized by the proteoglycans, which trap water molecules to produce a transparent hydrogel network. This physical microstructure underpins the complex viscoelastic behavior of the vitreous humor [1, 5]. Since the degree of viscosity and elasticity are modulated by the relative amount of hyaluronan and collagen, respectively [6], non-uniform distribution of these major components leads to variations in the viscoelastic properties across the vitreous humor [6,7,8,9]. Jongebloed and Worst have characterized the highly structured fibrillar networks surrounding a system of ‘hollow’ spaces,
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