Ultrasound-Enhanced Transcorneal Drug Delivery for Treatment of Fungal Keratitis

Purpose: Transcorneal drug delivery is hindered by ocular physical and biochemical properties, such as tear production, the epithelial layer of the cornea, and blinking. The aim of this study was to determine whether ultrasound can be applied to increase the transcorneal drug delivery of natamycin used in the treatment of fungal keratitis without dangerously overheating the surrounding ocular tissues. Methods: To verify the safety of various sets of ultrasound parameters, modeling studies were conducted using OnScale, an ultrasonic wave modeling software. Ultrasound parameters determined optimal for ocular tissue safety were used in a laboratory setting in a jacketed Franz diffusion cell setup. Histological images of the cross-section of the corneas used in experiments were examined for cell damage under a microscope. Results: Increases in transcorneal drug delivery were seen in every treatment parameter combination when compared with the sham treatment. The highest increase was 4.0 times for 5 minutes of pulsed ultrasound at a 25% duty cycle and a frequency of 400 kHz and an intensity of 0.5 W/cm2 with statistical significance (P
Source: Cornea - Category: Opthalmology Tags: Basic Investigation Source Type: research