Effect of cut rates on fluidic behavior of chopped vitreous.

PURPOSE: To analyze the viscoelastic properties of the chopped vitreous at different cut rates to better understand complex fluidic behavior of chopped vitreous during vitrectomy. METHODS: Twenty- and 25-gauge cutters were used to cut 107 porcine eyes at different cut rates of 500, 1000, 1500, 2000, and 2500 cuts per minute with a fixed vacuum pressure of 500 mmHg. Each sample was immediately tested using a shear rheometer to obtain its rheologic properties. RESULTS: Chopped vitreous demonstrated significantly lower viscosity (0.039 ± 0.01 Pa·s) than intact vitreous (908.1 ± 210.8 Pa·s). However, cut rate did not have any significant impact on viscosity. In addition, chopped vitreous presented elastic behavior. It was shown that the compliance, the inverse of stiffness, of chopped vitreous is much higher than that of intact vitreous (1.83 ± 0.31 Pa for intact vitreous and 85.3 ± 14.4 Pa for chopped vitreous) and varies in a nonlinear fashion when cut at different cut rates. CONCLUSION: Cut rate affects the rheologic properties of the chopped vitreous and, therefore, its flow inside the vitrectomy system. It is essential to account for both viscosity and elasticity of chopped vitreous to understand flow behavior during vitrectomy.

The deformation of flexible PDMS microchannels under a pressure driven flow.

Poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) microchannels are commonly used microfluidic structures that have a wide variety of biological testing applications, including the simulation of blood vessels to study the mechanics of vascular disease. In these studies in particular, the deformation of the channel due to the pressure inside is a critical parameter. We describe a method for using fluorescence microscopy to quantify the deformation of such channels under pressure driven flow. Additionally, the relationship between wall thickness and channel deformation is investigated. PDMS microchannels of varying top wall thickness were created using a soft lithography process. A solution of fluorescent dye is pumped through the channels at constant volume flow rates and illuminated. Pressure and fluorescence intensity are measured at five positions along the length of the channel. Fluorescence measurements are then used to determine deformation, using the linear relationship of dye layer thickness and intensity. A linear relationship between pressure and microchannel deformation is measured. Pressure drops and deformations closely correspond to values predicted by the model in most cases. Additionally, measured pressure drops are found to be up to 35% less than the pressure drop in a rigid-walled channel, and channel wall thickness is found to have an increasing effect as the channel wall thickness decreases.