ILM Blue (BBG250) is a vital dye used to stain structures in the eye,thereby facilitating surgery. Ophthalomologists use dyes in the front of the eye when performing cataract surgeries as well as to visualizethe internal limiting membrane (ILM) when performing vitreoretinalsurgeries.

This computer animated movie illustrates the use of ILM Blue in avitreous surgery. In this case, the patient is suffering from amacular hole and requires an internal limiting membrane (ILM) removal.Please note that the stages in which ILM Blue is used have beenhighlighted for your convenience.

In cataract surgeries, complete curvilinear capsulorhexis provides aclean opening for the insertion of intraocular lenses. Staining thecapsule has been shown to facilitate this procedure.

Ophthalmic surgeons often have difficulty visualizing ocularstructures because adjacent tissues lack sufficient contrast. The ILMis particularly difficult to differentiate from other retinal tissues,and surgeons are often required to strip the ILM from the retina toprevent blood from collecting behind the ILM.

We are currently marketing ILM Blue all over Europe.
Development geared towards gaining approval from the FDA in the US and the Ministry of Health and Welfare in Japan is currently underway.

BBG Published Literature
Clinical Studies

• 2010
  Henrich PB, Haritoglou C, Meyer P, Ferreira PR, Schotzau A, Katamay R,
  Josifova T, Schneider U, Flammer J, Priglinger S. Anatomical and
  functional outcome in brilliant blue G assisted chromovitrectomy.
  Acta Ophthalmol 2010; 88: 588-593.
  
  Kenawy N, Wong D, Stappler T, Romano NR, Das RA, Hebbar G, Dip PG, Prime W, Heimann H, Gibran SK, Sheridan CM, Cheung YH, Hiscott PS. Does the presence of an epiretinal membrane alter the cleavage plane during internal limiting membrane peeling? Ophthalmology 2010;117: 320–323.
  
  Schumann RG, Gandorfer A, Eibl KH, Henrich PB, Kampik A, Haritoglou C.
  Sequential epiretinal membrane removal with internal limiting
  membrane peeling in brilliant blue G-assisted macular surgery. Br J
  Ophthalmol 2010, July 31[epub ahead of print]

• 2009
  Arima M, Miyazaki M, Kohno R, Hata Y, Ishibashi T. An early reopening
  case of idiopathic macular hole; supportive usefulness of fundus
  autofluorescence. Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol 2009; 247:
  711-714.
  
  Kifuku K, Hata Y, Kohno RI, Kawahara S, Mochizuki Y, Enaida H, Sonoda
  KH, Ishibashi T. Residual internal limiting membrane in epiretinal
  membrane surgery. Br J Ophthalmol 2009; 93: 1016-1019.
  
  Maia M, Farah ME, Rodrigues EB, Malerbi FK. Subretinal brilliant blue
  G migration during internal limiting membrane peeling. Br J
  Ophthalmol 2009; 93: 1687.
  
  Shimada H, Nakashizuka H, Hattori T, Mori R, Mizutani Y, Yuzawa M.
  Double staining with brilliant blue G and double peeling for
  epiretinal membranes. Ophthalmology 2009; 116: 1370–1376.
  
  Schumann RG, Gandorfer A, Priglinger SG, Kampik A, Haritoglou C.
  Vital dyes for macular surgery: a comparative electron microscopy
  study of the
  internal limiting membrane. Retina 2009; 29: 669–676.

• 2008
  Mochizuki Y, Enaida H, Hisatomi T, Hata Y, Miura M, Arita R, Kawahara
  S, Kita T, Ueno A, Ishibashi T. The internal limiting membrane
  peeling with brilliant blue G staining for retinal detachment due to
  macular hole in high myopia. Br J Ophthalmol 2008; 92: 1009.
  
  Remy M, Thaler S, Schumann RG, May CA, Fiedorowicz M, Schuettauf F,
  Gru¨terich M, Priglinger SG, Nentwich MM, Kampik A, Haritoglou C. An
  in vivo evaluation of Brilliant Blue G in animals and humans. Br J
  Ophthalmol 2008; 92: 1142-1147.
  
  Schumann RG, Remy M, Grueterich M, Gandorfer A, Haritoglou C. How it
  appears: electron microscopic evaluation of internal limiting membrane
  specimens obtained during brilliant blue G assisted macular hole
  surgery. Br J Ophthalmol 2008; 92: 330-331.

• 2007
  Cervera E, Díaz-Llopis M, Salom M, Udaondo P, Amselem L. Internal
  limiting membrane staining using intravitreal brilliant blue G: good
  help for vitreo-retinal surgeon in training. Arch Soc Esp Oftalmol
  2007; 82: 71-72.
  
  Cervera E, Díaz-Llopis M, Salom D, Udaondo P. High dose intravitreal
  brilliant blue G.
  Arch Soc Esp Oftalmol 2007; 82: 473-474.
  
  Udaondo P, Díaz-Llopis M, Salom D, García-Delpech S, Cervera E.
  Capsulorexis asistida mediante azul brillante (BBG) para cirujanos en
  formación. Arch Soc Esp Oftalmol 2007; 82: 471-472.

• 2006
  Enaida H, Hisatomi T, Hata Y, Ueno A, Goto Y, Yamada T, Kubota T,
  Ishibashi T. Brilliant blue G selectively stains the internal
  limiting membrane/ brilliant blue G-assisted membrane peeling. Retina
  2006; 26: 631–636.

Pre-clinical Studies

• 2010
  Creuzot-Garcher C, Acar N, Passemard M, Bidot S, Bron A,
  Bretillon L. Functional and structural effect of intravitreal
  indocyanine green, triamcinolone acetonide, trypan blue and brilliant
  blue G on rat retina. Retina 2010 [epub ahead of print]
  
  Morales MC, Freire V, Asumendi A, Araiz J, Herrera I, Castiella G,
  Corcostegui I, Corcostegui G. Comparative effects of six intraocular
  vital dyes on retinal pigment epithelial cells. Invest Ophthalmol Vis
  Sci 2010 [epub ahead of print]
  
  Rodrigues EB, Penha FM, de Paula Fiod Costa E, Maia M, Dib E, Moraes M
  Jr, Meyer CH, Magalhaes O Jr, Melo GB, Stefano V, Dias AB, Farah ME.
  Ability of new vital dyes to stain intraocular membranes and tissues
  in ocular surgery. Am J Ophthalmol 2010; 149: 265-277.

• 2009
  Costa Ede P, Rodrigues EB, Farah ME, Dib E, Penha F, Magalhaes O Jr,
  Furlani BA, Lima Filho AA, de Miranda A, Maia M. Vital dyes and light
  sources for chromovitrectomy: comparative assessment of osmolarity,
  pH, and spectrophotometry. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2009; 50:
  385-391.
  
  Rodrigues EB, Penha FM, Farah ME, de Paula Fiod Costa E, Maia M, Dib
  E, Bottos J, Freymuller E, Furlani B, Meyer CH, Megalhaes O Jr,
  Lima-Filho AA, Safatle A. Preclinical investigation of the retinal
  biocompatibility of six novel vital dyes for chromovitrectomy. Retina
  2009; 29: 497-510.
  
  Yuen D, Gonder J, Prouix A, Liu H, Hutnik C. Comparison of the in
  vitro safety of intraocular dyes using two retinal cell lines: a focus
  on brilliant blue G and indocyanine green. Am J Ophthalmol 2009; 147:
  251-259.

• 2008
  Enaida H, Ishibashi T. Brilliant blue in vitreoretinal surgery. Dev
  Ophthalmol 2008; 42: 115-125.
  
  Luke M, Januschowski K, Beutel J, Luke C, Grisanti S. Peters S,
  Jaissie GB, Bartz-Schmidt KU, Szurman P. Electrophysiological effects
  of brilliant blue G in the model of the isolated perfused vertebrate
  retina. Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol 2008; 246: 817-822.
  
  Mennel S, Meyer CH, Schmidt JC, Kaempf S, Thurmann G. Trityl dyes
  patent blue V and brilliant blue G – clinical relevance and in vitro
  analysis of the function of the outer blood-retinal barrier. Dev
  Ophthalmol 2008; 42: 101-114.

• 2007
  Kawahara S, Hata Y, Miura M, Kita T, Sengoku A, Nakao S, Mochizuki Y,
  Enaida H, Ueno A, Hafezi-Moghadam A, Ishibashi T. Intracellular
  Events in Retinal Glial Cells Exposed to ICG and BBG. Invest
  Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2007; 48: 4426–4432.
  
  Ueno A, Hisatomi T, Enaida H, Kagimoto T, Mochizuki Y, Goto Y, Kubota
  T, Hata Y, Ishibashi T. Biocompatibility of brilliant blue G in a rat
  model of subretinal injection. Retina 2007; 27: 499-504.

• 2006
  Enaida H, Hisatomi T, Goto Y, Hata Y, Ueno A, Miura M, Kubota T,
  Ishibashi T. Preclinical investigation of internal limiting membrane
  staining and peeling using intravitreal brilliant blue G. Retina
  2006; 26: 623-630.
  
  Hisatomi T, Enaida H, Matsumoto H, Kagimoto T, Ueno A, Hata Y, Kubota
  T, Goto Y, Ishibashi T. Staining ability and biocompatibility of
  brilliant blue G: Preclinical study of brilliant blue G as an adjunct
  for capsular staining. Arch Ophthalmol 2006; 124: 514-519.

• 2005
  Zhang X, Zhang M, Laties AM, Mitchell CH. Stimulation of P2X7
  receptors elevates Ca2+ and kills retinal ganglion cells. Invest
  Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2005; 46: 2183-2191.

• 2004
  Innocenti B, Pfeiffer S, Zrenner E, Kohler K, Guenther E. ATP-induced
  non-neuronal cell permeabilization in the rat inner retina. J
  Neurosci 2004; 24: 8577-8583.

Review Articles

• 2009
  Dib E, Rodrigues EB, Maia M, Meyer CH, Penha FM, de Albuquerque
  Furlani B, de Paula Fiod Costa E, Farah ME. Vital dyes in
  chromovitrectomy Arq Bras Oftalmol 2009;72: 845-850.
  
  Farah ME, Maia M, Rodrigues EB. Dyes in Ocular Surgery: Principles for Use in
  Chromovitrectomy. Am J Ophthalmol 2009;148: 332–340.
  
  Rodrigues EB, Costa EF, Penha FM, Melo GB, Botto´ s J, Dib E, Furlani
  B, Lima VC, Maia M, Meyer CH, Ho¨fling-Lima AL, Farah ME. The Use of
  Vital Dyes in Ocular Surgery. Surv Ophthalmol 2009; 54: 576--617.
  
  Thaler S. Schuttauf F, Haritoglou C. Biocompatibility of dyes for
  vitreoretinal surgery. Ophthalmologe 2009; 106: 11-15.

• 2008
  Abdelkader E, Lois N. Internal limiting membrane peeling in
  vitreo-retinal surgery. Surv Ophthalmol 2008; 53: 368-396.

• 2007
  Haritoglou C. Macular hole surgery today –a survey. Klin Monbl
  Augenheilkd 2007; 224: 755-762.
  
  Kirchhof B. Introducing a new dye for vitreoretinal surgery.
  Ophthalmology Times: Europe 2007.
  
  Rodrigues EB, Maia M, Meyer CH, Penha FM, Dib E, Farah ME. Vital dyes
  for chromovitrectomy. Curr Opin Ophthalmol 2007; 18: 179-187.