Perfluorocarbon gases have been used successfully in the management of complicated retinal detachments. More recent interest in liquid vitreous replacements to provide intraocular tamponade have centered on the clinical use of silicone oils. Both gases and silicone oils are less dense than water and provide excellent tamponade of the superior retina. In addition with long term replacement, these substances have been associated with significant complications. This proposal will investigate a new class of liquid fluorochemicals for possible vitreous replacement. Medical applications of fluorochemicals currently include potential blood substitutes, and as substrates for tissue culture. The substances are clear liquids which are immiscible with water resulting in excellent interfacial tension. Their densities range l.6-l.9 offering tamponade of the inferior retina and potential for decreasing corneal or lens toxicity. The substances are stable since C-F bond energies are significantly stronger than C-Si bonds. The viscosity of these compounds can be low and therefore more easily removed. Preliminary data using one of these substances, perfluortributylamine (FC-43), appears to be relatively well-tolerated in the rabit eye for two-four months. However by two-three weeks the substance disperses into bubbles and may not be applicable for long term use. The ocular tolerance of new liquid perfluorochemicals will be studied in this proposal for use as vitreous replacements. Compounds offering both short term and long term application will be evaluated.
