BREWSTER-ANGLE MICROSCOPY - A NEW METHOD OF VISUALIZING THE SPREADINGOF MEIBOMIAN LIPIDS

The spreading behaviour of the Meibomian lipids is important for the i ntegrity of the whole tear film. This paper presents the application o f Brewster Angle Microscopy (BAM) for the observation of the spreading process in vitro. Meibomian gland secretions were studied in a Langmu ir trough. The secretion was characterized by an extremely rapid conti nuous spreading, suggesting that enough material would be available to recover the superficial lipid layer of the tears between the blinks o f the eye. This new technique provides important information on how th e normal tear film works and how tear substitutes might act.