ARTIFICIAL CORNEA

摘要

The present invention provides an artificial corneal implant having an optically clear central core and a porous, hydrophilic, biocompatible skirt peripheral to the central core. In one embodiment, the central core is made of an interpenetrating double network hydrogel and the skirt is made of poly(2-hydroxyethyl acrylate) (PHEA). In another embodiment, both the central core and the skirt are made of interpenetrating double network hydrogels. The artificial corneal implant may also have an interdiffusion zone in which the skirt component is interpenetrated with the core component, or vice versa. In a preferred embodiment, biomolecules are linked to the skirt, central core or both. These biomolecules may be any type of biomolecule, but are preferably biomolecules that support epithelial and/or fibroblast cell survival and growth. Preferably, the biomolecules are linked in a spatially selective manner. The present invention also provides a method of making an artificial corneal implant using photolithography.