Pre-stripped, Pre-punched, Ready-to-Place
BrightMEM Preloaded™
Corneal Allograft
Introducing the BrightMEM Preloaded Corneal Allograft
BrightMEM Preloaded represents a deliberate evolution of our core allograft, built directly from surgeon feedback and our ongoing commitment to improving the DMAK procedure experience. In its original form, BrightMEM required surgeons to trephine and separate the tissue from the corneal button themselves — an additional step that added time, instruments, and a degree of procedural variability to every case.
BrightMEM Preloaded eliminates that step entirely. The tissue now arrives pre-stripped and pre-punched, ready for immediate use, removing the trephination and separation process from the surgeon's workflow. The result is a simpler procedure requiring fewer instruments and fewer steps — without any change to the tissue quality or clinical performance surgeons already trust.
DMAK with BrightMEM Preloaded Corneal Allograft Overview
Prepare the BrightMEM Preloaded Allograft
The BrightMEM Preloaded allograft is shipped in a glass cannula in corneal storage media vial. Remove the cannula from vial and attach a pre-filled syringe to the silicone connector.
Place the BrightMEM Allograft
After performing an SK, remove the cap from the glass cannula over a sterile field. Hold a Paton spatula ahead of the ejection location to prevent the allograft traveling off the cornea as it exits the glass cannula. Be sure to eject the allograft SLOWLY.
Smooth Out the BrightMEM Preloaded Allograft
Use a non-toothed forceps or a 25G cannula tip to unscroll the tissue on the corneal surface. Confirm the graft is “right side up” by observation of the “S” stamp. Once the tissue is properly oriented, apply 2-3 drops of BSS to the surface and use the shaft of the 25G cannula to press down and sweep / squeegee over the graft to smooth it out, removing all wrinkles and fluid.
Secure the BrightMEM Preloaded Allograft
Apply fibrin glue, ensuring all edges are fully covered.
Next, place a bandage contact lens over the glue.
Post-Operative Care
Keep the bandage contact lens in place and have the patient wear an eye shield at night for the first month.
Published Papers on BrightMEM and DMAK
Hou JH, Tauber J, Shukla R, et al. "Descemet Membrane Anterior Keratoplasty With BrightMEM Corneal Allografts for Ocular Surface Disease." Cornea. Published online March 17, 2026. DOI: 10.1097/ICO.0000000000004142
This multicenter, multi-surgeon retrospective study of 99 DMAK cases reported complete epithelialization in 84.8% of patients, with a median healing time of 28 days, across indications including limbal stem cell deficiency, persistent epithelial defect, and neurotrophic keratopathy. Graft retention was 91.9%. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
Cheung AY, Reinisch CB, Hou JH. "Decellularized Descemet Membrane Anterior Keratoplasty With Allogeneic Simple Limbal Epithelial Transplantation for Partial Limbal Stem Cell Deficiency Following Partial Keratolimbal Allograft Failure." Cornea. 2025;44(1):108–112. DOI: 10.1097/ICO.0000000000003565. Epub 2024 May 3.
This case report demonstrated that DMAK may serve as a long-term substrate to improve and maintain corneal epithelialization out to 1.5 years, and may be a viable alternative to amniotic membrane as a scaffold in allogeneic simple limbal epithelial transplantation for partial limbal stem cell deficiency. PubMed Central
Bedard P, Yuan C, Lee S, Roehrich H, Hou JH. "Descemet Membrane Versus Amniotic Membrane for Limbal Stem Cell Therapy." Cornea. Published online December 8, 2025.
This article, cited in the EyeWiki DMAK entry, directly compares Descemet membrane and amniotic membrane as substrates for limbal stem cell therapy. EyeWiki
Koseoglu et al. Case series of four eyes with partial LSCD in the setting of neurotrophic keratopathy and aniridia treated with DMAK. (2025 — publication details pending per EyeWiki)
In this case series, DMAK resulted in good graft adhesion and no recurrence of central corneal neovascularization at final follow-up. One patient required a repeat DMAK due to intraoperative graft tearing. EyeWiki
Elsharawi R, Lee D, Mittal A, Chamberlain WD, Tauber J, Redd TK. "Use of Decellularized Descemet Membrane Anterior Keratoplasty to Facilitate Epithelialization of Pediatric Penetrating Keratoplasty for Total Sclerocornea." Cornea.2025;44(12):1543–1545.
This case report described a pediatric patient with total sclerocornea in whom PKP combined with DMAK resulted in corneal re-epithelialization within one week or less, compared to one month for PKP alone performed on the contralateral eye. EyeWiki
Hou JH, Bedard P, Lee S, et al. "Ex vivo expansion of limbal stem cells using Descemet's Membrane as a culture substrate." Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science. 2019;60:4128.
Hou JH, Bedard P, Lee S, et al. "Comparison of Descemet's membrane and human amniotic membrane as culture substrates for ex vivo expansion of limbal stem cells." Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science. 2020;61:3267.