Artificial cornea

Under normal physiological conditions, the cornea is able to maintain indefinitely its own integrity and transparency. However, it is also the most vulnerable portion of the outer tunic of the eye. It can be affected by a wide variety of disorders and may cause partial or total loss of vision. Therefore, the development of an artificial cornea is necessary for keratoprosthesis. The artificial cornea must be biocompatible with the host tissue and should not elicit toxic or allergic reactions. It must have the ability to interlock or heal with the host cornea. It must also have the ability to promote and maintain the growth of epithelium over the prosthetic anterior surface and the ability to avoid the formation of retrocorneal fibroblastic membrane.