Pulsed electron avalanche knife for capsulotomy in congenital and mature cataract
Accepted 27 January 2006.
The pulsed electron avalanche knife (PEAK-fc, Carl Zeiss Meditec) is an electrosurgical cutting device that allows precise “cold” and traction-free tissue dissection. We describe its applicability and safety for anterior capsulotomy in a child with congenital cataract and an adult patient with mature cataract. The PEAK-fc was set at a voltage of 600 V and a pulse repetition rate of 80 Hz. Anterior capsulotomies were successfully and safely performed in both cases, with the edges of capsulotomies appearing sharp and showing only limited collateral damage. The PEAK-fc appears to be a helpful cutting device for complicated cases of cataract surgery, especially for mature and congenital cataracts.
From the Department of Ophthalmology (Priglinger, Haritoglou, Kook, Grueterich, Mueller, Alge, Kampik), Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany, and the Department of Ophthalmology and Hansen Experimental Physics Laboratory (Palanker), Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
Reprint requests to Siegfried G. Priglinger, MD, Department of Ophthalmology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich Mathildenstrasse 8, 80336 Munich, Germany.
Presented in part at the XXIII Congress of the European Society of Cataract & Refractive Surgeons, Lisbon, Portugal, September 2005.
Daniel Palanker has a patent-related financial interest in PEAK. No other author has a financial or proprietary interest in any material or method mentioned.
Part of this project (Stanford University) was provided by the NIH R01 EY01288 grant and by the Whitaker Foundation grant RG-03-0042.
ABSTRACT