trypan blue

Trypan blue is a synthetic acid azo dye used primarily as an ophthalmic diagnostic agent. In clinical practice, it is employed during eye surgeries such as cataract extraction and vitrectomy to selectively stain the anterior capsule or epiretinal membranes, thereby enhancing visualization and facilitating surgical manipulation[1][2][8]. The dye works by selectively staining nonviable tissues or membranes in the eye, providing contrast between different ocular structures. Trypan blue does not penetrate living cells with intact membranes but stains dead or damaged cells, making it useful for both medical diagnostics and cell viability assays in research[6][9]. Its mechanism of action involves selective binding to extracellular matrix components of target tissues (such as epiretinal membrane and internal limiting membrane), aiding their identification during surgery[1][5]. Chemically, trypan blue is a tetrasodium salt with the formula C34H24N6Na4O14S4 and a molecular weight of approximately 960.8 g/mol[5].

Brand names

MembraneBlueVisionBlue

Other names

Azidine blue 3BBenzamine blue 3BBenzo Blue bBChlorazol blue 3BDiamine blue 3BDianil blue H3GDirect Blue 14Niagara blue 3B