Abstract: Objective To explore the efficacy of Nichrome electrothermal capsulorhexis rings assisted anterior capsule membrane circular capsulorhexis of isolated porcine lenses. Design Experimental studies. Participants Fifty solated porcine eyeballs. Methods Solated porcine eyeballs was divided into two groups randomly with 25 cases in each group: continuous curvilinear capsulorhexis group (traditional group) and electrothermal assisted capsulorhexis group (electrothermal group). The surgical procedure will be performed after corneal removal and the whole procedure was videotaped. Anterior capsule holes and corneoscleral limbus were photographed after the operation. PotPlayer, Digimizer and MATLAB were used to perform marker analysis and mathematical calculation of the edge of anterior capsule holes and corneoscleral limbus in the video and image, and then the main indicators were obtained. Main Outcome Measures Circularity (△Z), bias(B), diameter(D), error of diameter(△D), capsulorhexis-time (T). Results There was no radial tearing of the anterior capsule during the experimental process. The average values of the parameters for the traditonal group were: △Z=(17.57±6.10)px, B=(36.99±17.59)px, D=(5.51±0.95)mm, △D=(0.59±0.49)mm, T=(26.12±8.82)s. Those values of the electrothermal group were: △Z=(16.95±7.08)px, B=(25.54±15.78)px, D=(5.29±0.50)mm, △D=(0.21±0.23)mm, T=(43.48±12.31)s. There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups in terms of △Z (Z=-0.534, P=0.594) or D (t=1.055, P=0.298). The B value of the traditional group was significantly greater than that of the electrothermal group (t=2.423, P=0.019). The T value was significantly shorter in the traditional group than in the electrothermal group (t=-5.731, P＜0.001). The △D in the traditional group was significantly greater than that in the electrothermal group (Z=-3.218, P=0.001). Conclusion The electrothermal assisted capsulorhexis is feasible and can achieve similar results to continuous curvilinear capsulorhexis in roundness, while achieving better centering, more controllable and ideal diameter of anterior capsule holes. However, it still increasing the surgical steps to extend the time of capsulorhexis. (Ophthalmol CHN, 2023, 32: 222-227)

Key words: anterior lens capsule, phacoemulsification, continuous curvilinear capsulorhexis