ABSTRACT
The ocular structures are very sensitive to damage from ultraviolet (UV) radiation, exposure is linked to corneal and conjunctival damage, cataract formation and may also be implicated in the aetiology of age-related macular degeneration. These structures are usually protected by wearing suitable eyeglasses and goggles. An alternative to conventional eyeglasses/goggles is the concept of "liquid sunglasses" which involve the topical application of eye drops that are designed to block harmful UV radiation reaching the sensitive ocular surfaces. The evaluation of such compounds directly applied to the eye surface requires in situ measurements to compare the efficacy of different formulations. A novel ocular spectrometer system has been used to evaluate changes in the transmission of ultraviolet (UV) radiation through the anterior eye following topical application of candidate UV-absorbing formulations. The key feature of the system is the ability to propagate a beam of light tangentially through the anterior eye using a compact, hand-held lens assembly incorporating UV-transmitting optical fibres. A range of formulations containing UV-absorbing compounds were topically applied to ex vivo rabbit eyes. Significant increases in the absorption of the UV spectrum were detected in seven of the eight formulations studied, demonstrating the potential of this measurement technique in the evaluation of formulations developed as potential topical ocular sunscreens.
Subject(s)
Spectrum Analysis/methods , Sunscreening Agents/pharmacology , Ultraviolet Rays/adverse effects , Administration, Topical , Animals , Eye/metabolism , Eye/radiation effects , Ophthalmic Solutions , Rabbits , Sunscreening Agents/administration & dosageABSTRACT
AIMS: To evaluate a corneal contact lens which effectively turns the anterior chamber of the eye into a cuvette, enabling the concentration of a drug to be measured using absorption spectroscopy. METHODS: A hand held contact lens incorporating optical fibres connected to a spectrograph enabled a beam of light to be directed in, across, and out of the anterior chamber. The device was used to follow the time course of drug concentration in the anterior chamber of rabbit (sedated) and humans, using topical brimonidine or fluorescein (with or without local anaesthesia). Absorbance measurements were taken for a 5-25 second period, repeated every 30 minutes. Drug concentrations were compared using absorbance peak height. RESULTS: Corneal absorption starts to rise rapidly at wavelengths shorter than 315 nm. The light path within the anterior chamber is 6.9 mm (rabbit) and 5.8 mm (human), the absorbance measured also includes a corneal component. Application of fluorescein (three drops of 2% solution) in rabbit allowed detection, 60 minutes later, of a large absorbance peak at 490 nm. In the human eye, the device could not measure fluorescein (applied as in rabbit), but clearly detected brimonidine for 3 hours following topical application of 0.6 mg. Modification of the device to measure fluorescence resulted in the detection of 5.3 nM fluorescein in the ex vivo rabbit eye, an increase in sensitivity of two orders of magnitude over the absorption measurements. CONCLUSION: This device has the potential to allow repeated measurements of drug concentrations in the anterior eye provided the drug has suitable absorption or fluorescence characteristics.
Subject(s)
Anterior Chamber/chemistry , Cornea/metabolism , Ophthalmic Solutions/administration & dosage , Quinoxalines/administration & dosage , Absorption , Administration, Topical , Adult , Animals , Anterior Chamber/metabolism , Brimonidine Tartrate , Contact Lenses , Fluorescein/administration & dosage , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Rabbits , Spectrometry, FluorescenceABSTRACT
An alternative and simple fiber-optic backreflectance method for indirectly determining the effective focal lengths of optical elements by the spatial location of three specific points (the focal point and two object points) is presented. The basic optical element of the method is the single-mode optical fiber. It serves simultaneously as a point light source, an object for projecting, and a point receiver that is highly sensitive to spatial displacements for focused backreflectance laser emission. The method provides high accuracy for both locating the spatial points (1 µm) and determining the effective focal length (less than 0.5%).
ABSTRACT
A novel time-domain method is described in which the dynamic phase modulation index applied to an interferometer is directly measured from the waveform of the output photocurrent of the interferometer. A dynamic phase deviation as high as 78 rad has been experimentally demonstrated with a minimum detectable phase deviation of ~0.3 rad.
ABSTRACT
Fiber-optic interferometers have been studied extensively for sensing applications. Recently a technique described as the J(1) ... J(4) technique was reported for the linear measurement of dynamic phase changes in a fiber interferometer that requires no phase bias and for which the measurement is independent of random phase fluctuations. However, the implementation of the J(1) ... J(4) technique is limited because only the magnitude of the J(1) ... J(4) Bessel components can be measured on a spectrum analyzer without information available on the sign of the Bessel function. Here a modified signal-processing technique that overcomes the limitations mentioned above is described.
