Re-use of GRIN lenses

[Nadine]

Hi, I was wondering if anybody has tried to recover and re-use the lenses before? I recovered and cleaned them (acetone) but I was wondering if someone has re-implanted lenses yet and has made any experience with it?

Looking forward to hearing your opinions
Nadine

[Daniel Aharoni]

Hi Nadine,
We have been successful in reusing GRIN lenses after multiple soaks in acetone to remove dental cement and glue. You will want to examine the top and bottom surfaces of the used lens to make sure there are no scratches or large chips.

[Nadine]

Hi Daniel,

thanks so much for your reply. That sounds great. In this case I will re-implant them now with more confidence!

[bbernier]

I have been trying to clean GRIN lenses for reuse and even after multiple soaks in acetone they seem to still have a little bit of dirt visible on them when examining them under a dissecting scope. I've tried using lens paper with acetone and lens cleaner and still find it hard to get them looking like new. Do you find that this small amount is acceptable for imaging or is there some other step or method you use to additionally clean this last little bit of stuff off before reimplanting them?

Thanks