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Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference: EP/C546679/1
Title: Identification of colloid science routes to improve the critical performance of tamponade agents
Principal Investigator: Williams, Professor R
Other Investigators:
day, Dr MJ Garvey, Dr MJ
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:
Department: Clinical Sciences
Organisation: University of Liverpool
Scheme: Postdoctoral Mobility PreFEC
Starts: 01 August 2005 Ends: 31 July 2006 Value (£): 65,217
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:
Biomaterials
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:
Healthcare
Related Grants:
Panel History:  
Summary on Grant Application Form
Retinal detachments occur for a number of reasons and if untreated will lead to blindness. Tamponade agents are used in the treatment of retinal detachments. They are injected into the back of the eye to replace the patients vitreous. The tamponade agent advocated for use in patients with complex retinal detachments, for example those complicated by systemic disease such as diabetes, is silicone oil. Although several studies have shown that silicone oil is clinically effective and acceptable for this application problems with its use have been identified. One of these is that the silicone oil emulsifies resulting in small droplets of oil surrounding the main bubble. These droplets can cause significant adverse biological responses as well as reduce the effectiveness of the tamponade agent and interfere with the patients vision. We hypothesise that we can reduce the risk of emulsification by increasing the extensional viscosity of the silicone oil without causing large increases in the shear viscosity and therefore without making it more difficult for the vitreoretinal surgeons to use. This study will use colloid science expertise to study the emulsification of silicone oil tamponade agents and explore routes to reduce this process.
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Organisation Website: http://www.liv.ac.uk