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Purpose: To analyze the interface quality of the anterior stroma after femtosecond laser flap creation using atomic force microscopy. Setting: IRCCS Fondazione G.B. Bietti, Rome, Italy. Design: Experimental study. Methods: A 110 μm depth flap was created in 20 human corneal tissues using a femtosecond laser platform (Intralase iFS). Tissues were divided into 4 groups of various cutting parameters: pulse energy and spot separation of 0.75 μJ and 6 μm (Group 1), 0.65 μJ and 5 μm (Group 2), 0.55 μJ and 4 μm (Group 3), and 0.45 μJ and 4 μm (Group 4). Four additional tissue sections were cut using a motorized microkeratome (Hansatome). Atomic force microscopy (Autoprobe CP) analysis was performed on the stromal bed of each sample. Results: The corneal tissues treated with higher pulse energies and wider spot separations (Groups 1 and 2) showed a rougher stromal bed interface (root mean square [RMS] rough = 0.23 μm ± 0.008 (SD) and 0.24 ± 0.009 μm, respectively) than tissues in Groups 3 and 4 (RMS rough = 0.18 ± 0.006 μm and 0.18 ± 0.008 μm, respectively; P<.001, 1-way analysis of variance). The stromal surface quality of tissues treated with pulse energies of 0.55 μJ or lower and 4 μm spot separation compared favorably with that of tissues cut by the microkeratome (RMS rough = 0.17 ± 0.006 μm; P>.05, Tukey). Conclusions: The femtosecond stromal interface quality was improved with pulse energy lower and spot separations narrower than those currently used in the clinical setting. The flap interface smoothness created by the femtosecond laser was comparable to that created by the microkeratome. Financial Disclosure: No author has a financial or proprietary interest in any material or method mentioned. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To analyze intraocular lens (IOL) optic surface adhesiveness using atomic force microscopy (AFM). Setting: LiCryL Laboratory, University of Calabria, Rende, Italy. Methods: The surface adhesive properties of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), silicone, hydrophilic acrylic, and hydrophobic acrylic IOLs were evaluated by AFM. Analysis was performed at room temperature (21°C) in a liquid environment using the force-versus-distance mode of a commercial instrument (NanoScope III). Measurements were acquired with rectangular silicon cantilevers of a nominal elastic constant of 10 Newton/m. The nominal value of the tip''s radius of curvature was 1 μm, and the scanning speed during the acquisitions ranged from 10 to 400 nm/s. Results: The adhesion force measurements showed different characteristics for the various types of IOLs (P<.001, analysis of variance). The hydrophobic acrylic IOL had the largest mean adhesive force (283.75 nanoNewton [nN] ± 0.14 [SD]) followed by the hydrophilic acrylic (84.76 ± 0.94 nN), PMMA (45.77 ± 0.47 nN), and silicone (2.10 ± 0.01 nN) IOLs. Conclusions: The surface properties of the biomaterials used to manufacture IOLs are important because they can influence the incidence and severity of posterior capsule opacification (PCO). Although further studies are necessary to elucidate the mechanism of PCO development and the interface interactions between the IOL and capsule, the results in this study may bolster the theory of manufacturing more-adhesive materials to prevent PCO. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]