Why use a bioengineered cornea instead of a human cornea?
There is severe shortage of human cadaver corneas for corneal transplants. Human corneas begin to degrade quickly with a usable shelf that is approximately 2 weeks. The Cornea Biosciences cornea remains unchanged up to six months when stored under recommended conditions. Ideally, a human cadaver cornea would be a first choice of corneal transplants surgeons; however, the LinCor cornea has several advantages over a human cornea.
What is the risk of disease transmission?
Although the risk of disease transmission is low with human corneas, they must undergo expensive and time consuming testing to ensure there are no disease that can be transmitted from donor to host.
How long do corneal transplant procedures take to perform?
Depending upon the type of procedure and complexity of the condition to be treated a corneal transplant is usually done in less than 1 hour.
What conditions will the Cornea Biosciences™ cornea be used?
Initially, the company’s corneas will be used for corneal transplants in patients who are suitable for anterior lamellar keratoplasty including keratoconus and central corneal scars. Additional conditions will be added with additional research.
What is the cost of a corneal transplant?
Costs of corneal transplants vary widely by country, type of procedure, instrumentation used in the procedure, and the quality of the corneas used and their source.
What other technologies are available for corneal transplants?
There are several artificial corneas or keratoprostheses available on the market. These include the Boston Kpro, Alphacor, and Keraclear.
Are there age limitations for the use of the Cornea Biosciences™ cornea?
The Cornea Biosciences™ cornea has been tested in a small population of patients ages 10 to 88 years. It is unknown whether the cornea will be suitable for other age patients
For more information about corneal transplants:
- Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corneal_transplantation
- US National Library of Medicine http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003008.htm
- All About Vision http://www.allaboutvision.com/conditions/cornea-transplant.htm