EPSRC Reference: |
GR/R33809/01 |
Title: |
Optical Transmission in Fibrous Biomaterials |
Principal Investigator: |
Quantock, Professor AJ |
Other Investigators: |
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Researcher Co-Investigators: |
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Project Partners: |
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Department: |
Optometry and Vision Sciences |
Organisation: |
Cardiff University |
Scheme: |
Fast Stream |
Starts: |
01 August 2001 |
Ends: |
31 July 2002 |
Value (£): |
45,612
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EPSRC Research Topic Classifications: |
Biomaterials |
Development (Biosciences) |
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EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications: |
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Related Grants: |
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Panel History: |
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Summary on Grant Application Form |
The passage of light through a fibrous biomaterial such as the cornea of the eye (a material comprised of an array of identical, weak light scattering elements) is contingent on the spatial distribution of the scattering elements. This is because the interference of light waves scattered by each independent element determines how much light is eventually transmitted through the material. In cornea the main light scattering elements (collagen fibrils) are arranged in a very regular fashion, and it has been suggested that a parameter called the fibril volume fraction (i.e. the fraction of the tissue occupied by collagen fibrils) needs to be within certain limits if a cornea is to be transparent. We intend to find out whether this is the case, and discover what the limits are. We will do this by measuring the amount of light that passes through a series of corneas with different levels of transparency. This will be done with a spectrophotometer. We will then use x-ray diffraction to work out the fibril volume fraction for a range of matched corneas. The results will indicate whether the fibril volume fraction affects the ability of the cornea to transmit light.
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Key Findings |
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Potential use in non-academic contexts |
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Impacts |
Description |
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Summary |
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Date Materialised |
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Sectors submitted by the Researcher |
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Project URL: |
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Further Information: |
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Organisation Website: |
http://www.cf.ac.uk |