A box of VISIONBLUE® Syringe packaging by DORC, featuring a syringe with a clear barrel and plunger, alongside the product labeling indicating its use as a staining solution for cataract surgery.

DORC VisionBlue^®

Trusted purity and performance

Trusted for over 10 million cataract surgeries since launch.
The only trypan blue stain for anterior use approved by the FDA.

See the difference

Series of six close-up images depicting various stages of an eye surgical procedure, including the presence of a lens and surgical instruments.

Enables the complete, circular capsulorhexis required for a safe phaco-emulsification procedure ^13-16
High success rates in performing anterior capsulotomy in cases of mature or brunescent cataracts ^{5, 6, 7, 11, 12}
Enhanced contrast between the capsulorhexis rim, instrumentation and the adjacent nucleus ^12-16
Reduced risk of radial capsule tears and helps ensure a stable intraocular lens platform ^{1, 2, 3, 8}
Effective and safe recovery of ‘lost’ capsulorhexis edge ⁴
Improved efficacy in performing capsulorhexis in cases of narrow pupil ^{9, 10}
Improves visualization in cases of vitreous hemorrhage and hazy or scarred cornea ^4,5
Approved in Europe for staining of the Descemet’s membrane and trabecular meshwork.

DORC VisionBlue

Know what you are putting in the eye

VisionBlue^® is the only trypan blue stain for anterior use approved by the FDA
Highly purified trypan blue with lowest recorded levels of mono-azo dye — known for carcinogenic properties in medical use¹⁹
High purification might reduce the risk of TASS and nitrosamine induced toxicity
Batch level HPLC testing and Certificate of Analysis provides purity assurance and traceability for every lot produced

Surgical videos

DORC VisionBlue staining
DORC VisionBlue staining examples

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DORC VisionBlue staining
(courtesy of Fundación Elena Barraquer)

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Courtesy of Fundación Elena Barraquer

DORC VisionBlue staining examples

My preferred staining approach in cataract surgery is to use VisionBlue^®. Some ophthalmic trypan blue solutions include clumps, and, in my experience, these may not stain the anterior capsule optimally and can compromise the entire procedure. I look for maximum purity in an ophthalmic staining liquid. The purity of any substance injected into the anterior chamber must be extremely high.

Elena Barraquer MD, Spain, President of the Fundación Elena Barraquer

VisionBlue usage description

VisionBlue is indicated for use as an aid in ophthalmic surgery by staining the anterior capsule of the lens. Inadequate visualization of the anterior lens capsule may result in an incomplete capsulorhexis, which carries a high risk of radial capsule tears and associated complications. VisionBlue capsule staining therefore facilitates the performance of a capsulorhexis in the absence of a red fundus reflex and reduces the risk of capsulorhexis-related complications through better visualization of radial capsule tears. VisionBlue can be injected directly onto the anterior lens capsule and stains the capsule instantly, making the capsule staining procedure quick and easy to perform.

Important safety information

Following the procedure, excess dye should be removed by thorough irrigation of the anterior chamber. Adverse reactions reported following use of trypan blue include discoloration of high water content hydrogen intraocular lenses and inadvertent staining of the posterior lens capsule and vitreous face. Staining of the posterior lens capsule or staining of the vitreous face is generally self-limited, lasting up to one week.

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¹
Neuhann T. [Theory and surgical technic of capsulorhexis]. Klin Monbl Augenheilkd. 1987 Jun;190(6):542-5.
²
Gimbel HV, Neuhann T. Development, advantages, and methods of the continuous circular capsulorhexis technique. Cataract Refract Surg. 1990 Jan;16(1):31-7.
³
Assia EI1, Apple DJ, Barden A, Tsai JC, Castaneda VE, Hoggatt JS. An experimental study comparing various anterior capsulectomy techniques. Arch Ophthalmol. 1991 May;109(5):642-7.
⁴
de Waard PW, Budo CJ, Melles GR. Trypan blue capsular staining to “find” the leading edge of a “lost” capsulorhexis. Am J Ophthalmol. 2002 Aug;134(2):271-2.
⁵
Kothari K, Jain SS, Shah NJ. Anterior capsular staining with trypan blue for capsulorhexis in mature and hypermature cataracts. A preliminary study. Indian J Ophthalmol. 2001 Sep; 49(3):177-80.
⁶
Jacob S, Agarwal A, Agarwal A, Agarwal S, Chowdhary S, Chowdhary R, Bagmar AA. Trypan blue as an adjunct for safe phacoemulsification in eyes with white cataract. J Cataract Refract Surg. 2002 Oct; 28(10):1819-25.
⁷
Pandey SK1, Werner L, Escobar-Gomez M, Roig-Melo EA, Apple DJ. Dyeenhanced cataract surgery. Part 1: anterior capsule staining for capsulorhexis in advanced/white cataract. J Cataract Refract Surg. 2000 Jul;26(7):1052-9.
⁸
Naidu TS. CAPSULAR STAINING IS HELPFUL IN ROUTINE AND COMPLEX CASES Safety is paramount. CRST Europe October 2015.
⁹
Fridman G, Rizzuti AE, Liao J, Rolain M, Deutsch JA, Kaufman SC. Trypan blue as a surgical adjunct in pediatric cataract surgery. J Cataract Refract Surg. 2016 Dec;42(12):1774-1778
¹⁰
Lotfy A, Abdelrahamn A. Trypan blue-assisted posterior capsulorhexis in pediatric cataract surgery. Clin Ophthalmol. 2017 Jan 24;11:219-222
¹¹
Saini JS, Jain AK, Sukhija J Gupta P, Saroha V. Anterior and posterior capsulorhexis in pediatric cataract surgery with or without trypan blue dye: Randomized prospective clinical study. J Cataract Refract Surg 2003; 29(9):1733–1737
¹²
Werner L, Pandey SK, Escobar-Gomez M, Hoddinott DS, Apple DJ. Dye-enhanced cataract surgery. Part 2: learning critical steps of phacoemulsification. J Cataract Refract Surg. 2000 Jul;26(7):1060-5
¹³
Melles GJR, de Waard PWT, Pameyer JH, Houdijn Beekhuis W, Trypan blue capsule staining to visualize the capsulorhexis in cataract surgery. J Cataract Refractive Surgery 1999; 25:7-9
¹⁴
Sturmer J, Cataract surgery and the “Blue Miracle”, Klin. Monatsblatt Augenheilkunde 2002; 219:191
¹⁵
Bhartiya P, Sharma N, Ray M, Sinha R, Vaypayee RB, Trypan blue assisted phacoemulsification in corneal opacities, British J. Ophthalmology 2002; 86:857-859
¹⁶
Dada T, Ray M, Bhartiya P, Vaypayee RB, Trypan blue assisted capsulorhexis for trainee phacoemulsification surgeons, J. Cataract Refractive Surgery 2002; 28:575-576
¹⁷
Buzard K, Zhang J, Thumann G, Stripecke R, Sunalp M. Two cases of toxic anterior segment syndrome from generic trypan blue. J. Cataract Refractive Surgery 2010; 36:2195-2199
¹⁸
Matsou A, Tzamalis A, MD, PhD, Chalvatzis N, Mataftsi A, Tsinopoulos I, Brazitikos P. Generic trypan blue as possible cause of a cluster of toxic anterior segment syndrome cases after uneventful cataract surgery. J. Cataract Refractive Surgery 2017; 43:848–852
¹⁹
Unidentified impurities within trypan blue have been linked to cases of toxicity in cataract surgery ^17,18

DORC VisionBlue®