A specular microscopic viewing system for donor corneas.

A system for routine specular microscopic assessment of donor corneal endothelium including a chamber that allows both storage and viewing of the donor tissue was evaluated. A specular microscope modified to enable noncontact scanning of donor cornea from the endothelial side was used. Forty-five human corneas were examined upon arrival at the eyebank. Storage in the new chamber was compared with that in standard vials for 13 paired corneas. This study demonstrates the feasibility and simplicity of routine specular microscopy on donor corneal tissue, and discusses its advantages.