Domestic technical textiles Industry Segment-wise consumption of ...

Artificial Cornea
The cornea is the transparent front portion of the eye that permits light to enter the eye. Normally
crystal clear, it can become cloudy or misshapen, causing gravely reduced vision or blindness.
Diseased corneas can be replaced successfully through transplantation (medically termed
"keratoplasty") using human donor cornea or artificial cornea (Keratoprosthesis). Human donors are
primarily used for transplantation in India. Keratoprosthesis is made of clear plastic with excellent
tissue tolerance and optical properties. The polymers used in artificial cornea need to be bio-
compatible, flexible, sufficient mechanical strength.
Product characteristics
The Keratoprosthesis or artificial cornea is made using following materials:
1. Poly methyl methacrylate (PMMA)
2. Poly 2-hydroxythyl methacrylate hydrogels (PHEMA)
3. Poly vinyl alcohol (PVA)
The artificial cornea is expected to have the following characteristics:
1. Withstand intraocular pressure
2. Be transparent
3. Have appropriate curvature
4. Have suitable refractive index
5. Sufficient tensile strength to allow surgical manipulation and fixation
6. Scratch resistance
Market for artificial cornea
In India, approximately 30,000 cornea transplants are carried out every year. The usage of artificial
cornea has started recently. Less than ten artificial cornea transplants have taken place in India so far.
The price of this artificial cornea is around $3000 and the cornea is made available by the supplier on
request only. The import of these items is set to increase with increasing medical tourism.