Abstract
The normal precorneal tear film usually remains intact between consecutive blinks, but holes begin to appear and grow at random spots in about 10–60 sec when blinking is prevented. Although the exact mechanism of the tear film breakup has eluded our understanding, it is certain that the breakup is secondary to the nonwettability of the corneal surface. We had earlier proposed a mechanism based on the possibility of the rupture and dewetting of the precorneal mucus layer due to the long-range van der Waals forces.1–4 The tear breakup was thought to be triggered by the “hydrophobicity,” or nonwettability, of the underlying corneal epithelial surface devoid of its mucus covering.
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Sharma, A. (1998). Breakup and Dewetting of the Corneal Mucus Layer. In: Sullivan, D.A., Dartt, D.A., Meneray, M.A. (eds) Lacrimal Gland, Tear Film, and Dry Eye Syndromes 2. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, vol 438. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-5359-5_39
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-5359-5_39
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