Silicone rubber applied within the eye: a preliminary study.

Clear, room temperature vulcanizing silicone rubber (RTV) has already been shown to have well-defined optical and mechanical properties that allow its use as an active optical element. In this work RTV is considered as a possible material for substitution of damaged and/or diseased parts of the human eye, such as the cornea and crystalline lens. The interaction of cured and uncured RTV with eye tissue and eyelike tissue was investigated, and the results support the use of this material in the eye.