Vision Restoration with a Collagen Cross-linked Boston Keratoprosthesis Unit

The Boston Keratoprosthesis is the most widely used keratoprosthesis worldwide and is implanted in the eyes of patients who are not candidates for a traditional corneal transplant. Unfortunately, the most common cause of keratoprosthesis failure is due to keratolysis corneal melts, which can result in devastating sight-threatening complications and or loss of the eye. Within the keratoprosthesis unit, corneal melts typically develop in the corneal graft that serves as a carrier for the optic. We have developed a method to reduce the incidence or potentially eliminate corneal melts by strengthening the keratoprosthesis carrier tissue by collagen-crosslinking the cornea graft ex vivo using vitamin B2 riboflavin and ultraviolet light. The overall objective of this study is to prevent sight-threatening keratoprosthesis corneal melts and identify an improved treatment for patients who are not candidates for traditional corneal transplants.