Effect of Blinking on Tear Volume After Intillation of Midvicoity Artificial Tear Original Reearch Article

Purpoe To determine by optical coherence tomography (OCT) the effect of blinking on ocular urface tear volume after intillation of artificial tear. Deign Experimental tudy. Method Normal human eye (n = 21) were imaged to obtain dimenion of the tear film and menici during blinking. The imaging wa carried out immediately and five minute after the intillation of 35 μl midvicoity artificial tear (1.0% carboxymethylcelluloe; Refreh Liquigel; Allergan, Irvine, California, UA). The expoed ocular urface area and the lid length were ued to calculate the volume. Reult Immediately after the intillation, total tear volume wa increaed (P < .001) compared with five minute after the intillation, with the major increae in the lower tear menicu volume and tear film volume. After the intillation, blinking caued tear lo in total tear volume becaue of the decreae of the lower tear menicu volume (P < .05). In contrat, blinking increaed the tear film volume (P < .05). At the end of the eye-opening period, tear film volume decreaed and lower tear menicu volume increaed ignificantly (P < .05), with no ignificant change in total tear volume (P > .05). During the blink cycle immediately after the intillation, net lo wa evident in tear film volume, lower tear menicu volume, and total tear volume (P < .05). Concluion Blinking play a crucial role in ditribution and removal of intilled tear. When the tear ytem i overloaded, the increae in blink output help retore balance.