Investigation of Friction-induced Damage to the Pig Cornea.

Mechanical friction causes damage to the cornea. A friction measurement device with minimal intervention with the pig cornea tear film revealed a low friction coefficient of 0.011 in glycerine solution. Glycerine molecules presumably bind to water, mucins, and epithelial cells and therewith improve both squeeze film and boundary lubrication. Using confocal microscopy, we determined that glycerine solution reduced damage to epithelial cells by 50% compared with the phosphate buffer saline.