Investigation of the penetration ability of INP/ZnSe/ZnS 650 quantum dots into the structures of the anterior segment of the eye in an ex vivo experiment
Authors:   Eye Microsurgery Ekaterinburg Center, Ekaterinburg, Russian Federation, Ponomarev V.O. , Kazaikin V.N. ,   Eye Microsurgery Ekaterinburg Center, Ekaterinburg, Russian Federation, Tkachenko K.A. ,   Eye Microsurgery Ekaterinburg Center, Ekaterinburg, Russian Federation, Kovalenko E.G. ,   Eye Microsurgery Ekaterinburg Center, Ekaterinburg, Russian Federation, Vokhmintsev A.S. ,   Yeltsin Ural Federal University, Ekaterinburg, Russian Federation, Vainshtein I.A. ,   Yeltsin Ural Federal University, Ekaterinburg, Russian Federation, Zhdanov A.E. ,   Yeltsin Ural Federal University, Ekaterinburg, Russian Federation, Kulyabin M.K. ,   Pattern Recognition Lab, Department of Computer Science, Fridrich-Alexander-Universitat Erlangen-Nurnberg, Erlangen, Germany
Published: February 2025

Purpose. To study the penetration ability of InP/ZnSe/ZnS 650QDs into the structures of the anterior segment of the eye in an ex vivoexperiment.

Material and methods. First part of the study assessedthe penetration ability of QD into the anterior chamber of the eye whilemechanically reducing the thickness of the corneal tissue. In cadavereyes (n=18), epithelium removal of the cornea was performed withsubsequent layer-by-layer sections to a depth of 130, 390 and 780µm. After installing the exposure baths, cadaver eyes were divided into3 groups depending on the exposure time to a 10% InP/ZnSe/ZnS650 QD solution, including a control group. After completion of theexposure, the surface of the cornea was washed with physiologicalsolution, followed by taking its contents in a volume of 0.2 ml forspectrophotometric and luminescent analysis. The second part of thestudy assessed the penetration ability of QD into the layers of the corneadepending on the solution concentration and exposure time. In cadavereyes (n=18), epithelium removal of the cornea was performed. Afterinstalling the exposure baths, cadaver eyes were divided into 3 groupsdepending on the exposure time of the QD solutions, including a controlgroup and into 3 subgroups depending on the concentration (10, 0.1,0.01%) of the InP/ZnSe QD solution /ZnS 650. After completion of theexposure phase, the corneal surface was washed with physiologicalsolution. Subsequently, to study the flaps of each of the three groups,sections of the corneal flaps were made to a depth of 130, 260, 390µm and were subsequently transferred to a glass slide for analysis.

Results. When analyzing the studied samples of aqueous humour of theanterior chamber according to spectrophotometry and luminescencespectrometry, no reliable data were obtained for the penetration ofQD into the anterior chamber of the eye. Also, when analyzing cornealsections, it was found that QDs penetrate deep into the corneal tissue,regardless of the concentration of the QD solution and exposuretime.

Conclusion. Based on spectrophotometry and luminescencespectrometry data, it was established that InP/ZnSe/ZnS 650 QDs donot penetrate into the anterior chamber with mechanical changes inthe thickness of the corneal tissue. InP/ZnSe/ZnS 650 QDs penetratethe corneal tissue to a depth of 390 µm; a direct correlation has beenestablished with exposure time and solution concentration.

Key words: quantum dots, penetrating ability, cornea, anteriorchamber moisture