Iontophoresis is a highly advanced non-invasive method that is useful to facilitate the absorption of drugs into the eye. This technique is used to improve the treatment of keratoconus. Iontophoresis (which is not to be confused with the ionophoresis) uses continuous weak currents to convey the medicinal molecules effectively and quickly to the eyeball.
Benefits Of Iontophoresis Procedure
- Drastic reduction in the soaking time (from 30 minutes to 5 minutes)
- EPI-ON Technology
- Concentration of riboflavin in the stroma that is higher than the imbibition TE standard, more homogeneous and reproducible compared to EPI-OFF technique
- Increase in patient compliance
- Emitter UV-A (10 mW / cm2): 9 minutes irradiation
- Total treatment time: 14 minutes
Preclinical data have demonstrated the efficacy and safety of the new combined technique imbibition with IONTOPHORESIS + UV-A to 10 mW IRRADIATION, either through corneal bio-mechanical tests (stress-strain tests and ‘Vinciguerra Spoerl’) and both immunological and immunohistochemical corneal tests that have highlighted the security for endothelium and nerve fibers (Mencucci et al.) using the two-photon microscopy (second harmonic generation) that has shown that the increase of collagen fibers is equal to standard (Epi-Off Technique).
With iontophoresis, the CXL technique reaches the optimum level because it combines the benefits of transepithelial technique (the absence of haze, infections, pain, no visual impairment in the post-intervention period, no operating room is required) to the benefits of the standard Epi-Off Technique (greater stromal penetration). All this with a much quicker and more comfortable intervention for both ophthalmologists and the patient, as it lasts only 14 minutes.
