Fringe-pattern projection (FPP) techniques are commonly used for surface-shape measurement in a wide range of applications including object and scene modeling, part inspection, and reverse engineering. Periodic intensity fringe patterns with a specific amplitude are projected by the projector onto an object and a camera captures images of the fringe patterns, which appear distorted by the object surface from the perspective of the camera. The images are then used to compute the height or depth of the object at each pixel. One of the problems with FPP is that camera sensor saturation may occur if there is a large change in ambient lighting or a large range in surface reflectivity when measuring object surfaces. Camera sensor saturation occurs when the reflected intensity exceeds the maximum quantization level of the camera. A low SNR occurs when there is a low intensity modulation of the fringe pattern compared to the amount of noise in the image. Camera sensor saturation and low SNR can result in significant measurement error. Careful selection of the camera aperture or exposure time can reduce the error due to camera sensor saturation or low SNR. However, this is difficult to perform automatically, which may be necessary when measuring objects in uncontrolled environments where the lighting may change and objects have different surface reflectivity. This research presents three methods to avoid camera sensor saturation when measuring surfaces subject to changes in ambient lighting and objects with a large range in reflectivity. All these methods use the same novel approach of lowering the maximum input gray level (MIGL) to the projector for saturation avoidance. This approach avoids saturation by lowering the reflected intensity so that formerly saturated intensities can be captured by the camera. The first method of saturation avoidance seeks a trade-off between robustness to intensity saturation and low SNR. Measurements of a flat white plate at different MIGL resulted in a trade-off MIGL that yielded the highest accuracy for a single adjustment of MIGL that is uniform within and across the projected images. The second method used several sets of images, taken at constant steps of MIGL, and combined the images pixel-by-pixel into a single set of composite images, by selecting the highest unsaturated intensities at each pixel. White plate measurements using this method had comparable accuracy to the first method but required more images to form the composite image. Measurement of a checkerboard showed a higher accuracy than the first method since the second method maintains a higher SNR when the object has a large range of reflectivity. The last method also used composite images where the step size was determined dynamically, based on the estimated percentage of pixels that would become unsaturated at the next step. In measurements of a flat white plate and a checkerboard the dynamic step size was found to add flexibility to the measurement system compared to the constant steps using the second method. Using dynamic steps, the measurement system was able to measure objects with either a low or high range of reflectivity with high accuracy and without manually adjusting the step size. This permits fully automated measurement of unknown objects with variable reflectivity in unstructured environments with changing lighting conditions. The methods can be used for measurement in uncontrolled environments, for specular surfaces, and those with a large range of reflectivity or luminance. This would allow a wider range of measurement applications using FPP techniques.

O endotélio corneano é uma monocamada de células poligonais localizadas na face posterior da córnea e é essencial para a manutenção da transparência corneana. Não foram encontradas referências na literatura a respeito dos parâmetros morfológicos e morfométricos do endotélio da córnea de galinhas, apesar destes animais serem amplamente utilizados como modelo experimental em estudos oftálmicos, devido à similitude com a córnea de humanos. O objetivo deste estudo foi o de avaliar os parâmetros morfométricos e o pleomorfismo da região central do endotélio da córnea de galinhas (Gallus gallus domesticus) de diferentes faixas etárias, utilizando a microscopia especular de contato. Avaliaram-se a densidade, a área celular média e o pleomorfismo das células do endotélio da córnea de 60 olhos de 30 galinhas da raça Leghorn branca. Os animais foram divididos em três grupos composto por 10 animais cada: G1 (animais com 30 dias de idade), G2 (animais com 45 dias de idade) e G3 (animais com 60 dias de idade). O presente estudo revelou que o endotélio da córnea de galinhas é composto por células poligonais de padrão regular, com predomínio de formato hexagonal. O endotélio corneano de galinhas sofreu alterações decorrentes da idade no que tange a morfometria, mas no que diz respeito ao pleomorfismo, não ocorreram alterações em resposta ao envelhecimento. / The corneal endothelium is a monolayer of polygonal cells located on the posterior face of the cornea and it is essential for the maintenance of corneal transparency. We found no references in the literature concerning the morphological and morphometric parameters of the corneal endothelium of chickens, although these animals are widely used as experimental model in ophthalmic studies due to the similarity with the human cornea. The objective of this study was to evaluate the morphometric parameters and the pleomorphism of central corneal endothelium of chickens (Gallus gallus domesticus) of different ages using the contact specular microscopy. The density, the average cell area and the pleomorphism of the corneal endothelial cells were evaluated on 60 eyes of 30 white Leghorn chickens. The animals were divided into three groups of 10 animals each: G1 (animals with 30 days of age), G2 (animals with 45 days of age) and G3 (animals with 60 days of age). The present study revealed that the corneal endothelium of chickens is composed of regular polygonal cells, with predominance of hexagonal shape. The corneal endothelium of chickens has changed due to age in respect to morphometry, but in regard to pleomorphism, no changes occurred in response to aging.

O endotélio é uma monocamada de células achatadas, poligonais e interligadas que recobrem a superfície posterior da córnea, sendo fundamental na manutenção da transparência desta estrutura. Apesar dos coelhos (Orictolagus cuniculus) serem amplamente utilizados em pesquisas oftálmicas, não existem avaliações detalhadas referentes ao endotélio da córnea desta espécie em diferentes idades. Objetivou-se estudar os parâmetros morfológicos e morfométricos do endotélio da córnea de coelhos de diferentes idades, utilizando-se a microscopia especular. Foram estudados 36 bulbos oculares de 18 coelhos, machos ou fêmeas, de diferentes faixas etárias divididos em três grupos com seis animais cada, designados por: G I (animais com idade de seis meses); G II (animais com 1 ano de idade) e G III (animais com quatro anos de idade). A densidade celular endotelial média nos animais dos grupos G I, G II e G III foi de respectivamente 2307,16± 319,04, 1894,75 ± 170,81 e 1818,66 ± 245,11 células/mm2. A área celular média foi de respectivamente 364,43 ± 39,36, 374,79 ± 48,46 e de 378.50 ± 02,97 μm2 para G I, G II e G III. O pleomorfismo médio ou porcentagem de células hexagonais no endotélio central do olho direito e esquerdo de coelhos foi respectivamente de 65,40 ± 23,39% e de 75,15 ± 10,44%, com variação de 42,01 a 88,80% e de 60,71 a 81,60%. Os resultados apontam decréscimo da densidade, do pleomorfismo, e aumento da área celular média com o aumento da idade. O endotélio da córnea de coelhos sofre alterações decorrentes do avanço da idade. / The corneal endothelium is a monolayer of interconnected flattened polygonal cells that cover the back surface of the cornea, it is essential for the maintenance of its transparency. Due to the complete lack of data on the endothelial cells of rabbits (Orictolagus cuniculus) it`s ophthalmic widely used in research, no data relating to corneal endothelium in this species correlating their age. Therefore aimed to assess cell density, the average cell area and morphology of the corneal endothelium of rabbits at different ages. It was studied 36 eyes of 18 rabbits, male or female, of different ages. Rabbits were divided into three groups with 6 animals each, designated by: G I (animals aged six months), G II (animals with 1 year) and G III (animals with four years of age). The mean endothelial cell density in the animals of G I, G II and G III were respectively 2307,16± 319,04, 1894,75 ± 170,81 e 1818,66 ± 245,11 células/mm2. The average cell area was respectively 364,43 ± 39,36, 374,79 ± 48,46 e de 378.50 ± 02,97 μm2 for GI, G II and G III. The pleomorphism medium or percentage of hexagonal cells in the endothelium of the central right and left eyes of rabbits was respectively 65.40 ± 23.39% and 75.15 ± 10.44%, ranging from 42.01 to 88.80 %, and 60.71 to 81.60%. The results indicate a decrease in density, pleomorphism, and increased in average cell area with increasing age. The corneal endothelium of rabbits changes with advancing age.

O endotélio é uma monocamada de células achatadas, poligonais e interligadas que recobrem a superfície posterior da córnea, sendo fundamental na manutenção da transparência desta estrutura. Apesar dos coelhos (Orictolagus cuniculus) serem amplamente utilizados em pesquisas oftálmicas, não existem avaliações detalhadas referentes ao endotélio da córnea desta espécie em diferentes idades. Objetivou-se estudar os parâmetros morfológicos e morfométricos do endotélio da córnea de coelhos de diferentes idades, utilizando-se a microscopia especular. Foram estudados 36 bulbos oculares de 18 coelhos, machos ou fêmeas, de diferentes faixas etárias divididos em três grupos com seis animais cada, designados por: G I (animais com idade de seis meses); G II (animais com 1 ano de idade) e G III (animais com quatro anos de idade). A densidade celular endotelial média nos animais dos grupos G I, G II e G III foi de respectivamente 2307,16± 319,04, 1894,75 ± 170,81 e 1818,66 ± 245,11 células/mm2. A área celular média foi de respectivamente 364,43 ± 39,36, 374,79 ± 48,46 e de 378.50 ± 02,97 μm2 para G I, G II e G III. O pleomorfismo médio ou porcentagem de células hexagonais no endotélio central do olho direito e esquerdo de coelhos foi respectivamente de 65,40 ± 23,39% e de 75,15 ± 10,44%, com variação de 42,01 a 88,80% e de 60,71 a 81,60%. Os resultados apontam decréscimo da densidade, do pleomorfismo, e aumento da área celular média com o aumento da idade. O endotélio da córnea de coelhos sofre alterações decorrentes do avanço da idade. / The corneal endothelium is a monolayer of interconnected flattened polygonal cells that cover the back surface of the cornea, it is essential for the maintenance of its transparency. Due to the complete lack of data on the endothelial cells of rabbits (Orictolagus cuniculus) it`s ophthalmic widely used in research, no data relating to corneal endothelium in this species correlating their age. Therefore aimed to assess cell density, the average cell area and morphology of the corneal endothelium of rabbits at different ages. It was studied 36 eyes of 18 rabbits, male or female, of different ages. Rabbits were divided into three groups with 6 animals each, designated by: G I (animals aged six months), G II (animals with 1 year) and G III (animals with four years of age). The mean endothelial cell density in the animals of G I, G II and G III were respectively 2307,16± 319,04, 1894,75 ± 170,81 e 1818,66 ± 245,11 células/mm2. The average cell area was respectively 364,43 ± 39,36, 374,79 ± 48,46 e de 378.50 ± 02,97 μm2 for GI, G II and G III. The pleomorphism medium or percentage of hexagonal cells in the endothelium of the central right and left eyes of rabbits was respectively 65.40 ± 23.39% and 75.15 ± 10.44%, ranging from 42.01 to 88.80 %, and 60.71 to 81.60%. The results indicate a decrease in density, pleomorphism, and increased in average cell area with increasing age. The corneal endothelium of rabbits changes with advancing age.

O endotélio corneano é uma monocamada de células poligonais localizadas na face posterior da córnea e é essencial para a manutenção da transparência corneana. Não foram encontradas referências na literatura a respeito dos parâmetros morfológicos e morfométricos do endotélio da córnea de galinhas, apesar destes animais serem amplamente utilizados como modelo experimental em estudos oftálmicos, devido à similitude com a córnea de humanos. O objetivo deste estudo foi o de avaliar os parâmetros morfométricos e o pleomorfismo da região central do endotélio da córnea de galinhas (Gallus gallus domesticus) de diferentes faixas etárias, utilizando a microscopia especular de contato. Avaliaram-se a densidade, a área celular média e o pleomorfismo das células do endotélio da córnea de 60 olhos de 30 galinhas da raça Leghorn branca. Os animais foram divididos em três grupos composto por 10 animais cada: G1 (animais com 30 dias de idade), G2 (animais com 45 dias de idade) e G3 (animais com 60 dias de idade). O presente estudo revelou que o endotélio da córnea de galinhas é composto por células poligonais de padrão regular, com predomínio de formato hexagonal. O endotélio corneano de galinhas sofreu alterações decorrentes da idade no que tange a morfometria, mas no que diz respeito ao pleomorfismo, não ocorreram alterações em resposta ao envelhecimento. / The corneal endothelium is a monolayer of polygonal cells located on the posterior face of the cornea and it is essential for the maintenance of corneal transparency. We found no references in the literature concerning the morphological and morphometric parameters of the corneal endothelium of chickens, although these animals are widely used as experimental model in ophthalmic studies due to the similarity with the human cornea. The objective of this study was to evaluate the morphometric parameters and the pleomorphism of central corneal endothelium of chickens (Gallus gallus domesticus) of different ages using the contact specular microscopy. The density, the average cell area and the pleomorphism of the corneal endothelial cells were evaluated on 60 eyes of 30 white Leghorn chickens. The animals were divided into three groups of 10 animals each: G1 (animals with 30 days of age), G2 (animals with 45 days of age) and G3 (animals with 60 days of age). The present study revealed that the corneal endothelium of chickens is composed of regular polygonal cells, with predominance of hexagonal shape. The corneal endothelium of chickens has changed due to age in respect to morphometry, but in regard to pleomorphism, no changes occurred in response to aging.

O endotélio corneano é uma monocamada de células poligonais localizadas na face posterior da córnea e é essencial para a manutenção da transparência corneana. Não foram encontradas referências na literatura a respeito dos parâmetros morfológicos e morfométricos do endotélio da córnea de galinhas, apesar destes animais serem amplamente utilizados como modelo experimental em estudos oftálmicos, devido à similitude com a córnea de humanos. O objetivo deste estudo foi o de avaliar os parâmetros morfométricos e o pleomorfismo da região central do endotélio da córnea de galinhas (Gallus gallus domesticus) de diferentes faixas etárias, utilizando a microscopia especular de contato. Avaliaram-se a densidade, a área celular média e o pleomorfismo das células do endotélio da córnea de 60 olhos de 30 galinhas da raça Leghorn branca. Os animais foram divididos em três grupos composto por 10 animais cada: G1 (animais com 30 dias de idade), G2 (animais com 45 dias de idade) e G3 (animais com 60 dias de idade). O presente estudo revelou que o endotélio da córnea de galinhas é composto por células poligonais de padrão regular, com predomínio de formato hexagonal. O endotélio corneano de galinhas sofreu alterações decorrentes da idade no que tange a morfometria, mas no que diz respeito ao pleomorfismo, não ocorreram alterações em resposta ao envelhecimento. / The corneal endothelium is a monolayer of polygonal cells located on the posterior face of the cornea and it is essential for the maintenance of corneal transparency. We found no references in the literature concerning the morphological and morphometric parameters of the corneal endothelium of chickens, although these animals are widely used as experimental model in ophthalmic studies due to the similarity with the human cornea. The objective of this study was to evaluate the morphometric parameters and the pleomorphism of central corneal endothelium of chickens (Gallus gallus domesticus) of different ages using the contact specular microscopy. The density, the average cell area and the pleomorphism of the corneal endothelial cells were evaluated on 60 eyes of 30 white Leghorn chickens. The animals were divided into three groups of 10 animals each: G1 (animals with 30 days of age), G2 (animals with 45 days of age) and G3 (animals with 60 days of age). The present study revealed that the corneal endothelium of chickens is composed of regular polygonal cells, with predominance of hexagonal shape. The corneal endothelium of chickens has changed due to age in respect to morphometry, but in regard to pleomorphism, no changes occurred in response to aging.

Depuis plus de vingt ans, le besoin en numérisation 3D de pièces industrielles augmente considérablement. Par conséquent, un grand nombre de techniques expérimentales ont été proposées ainsi que quelques solutions commerciales. Cependant, des difficultés subsistent pour l’acquisition de surfaces optiquement non coopératives, comme les surfaces transparentes et/ou spéculaires. En effet, la transmission ou réflexion spéculaire de la lumière va à l’encontre du fonctionnement des systèmes conventionnels d’acquisition 3D, qui repose sur l’acquisition de la partie diffuse de la réflexion. Afin d’aborder la problématique de numérisation 3D des surfaces métalliques fortement réfléchissantes, nous proposons l’extension d’une technique non conventionnelle, initialement dédiée aux objets en verre et appelée « Scanning from Heating ». Cette technique diffère des approches classiques de triangulation active par la mesure de l’émission thermique de la surface plutôt que de la réflexion du rayonnement visible. Une source laser est géométriquement calibrée avec un capteur infrarouge pour extraire le nuage de points 3D des images thermiques. En nous appuyant sur les propriétés thermo-physiques des métaux, nous présentons un modèle théorique des échanges thermiques mis en jeu par la technique, permettant de démontrer la faisabilité sur les matériaux métalliques. Grâce à un outil de simulation par éléments finis, les résultats apportent des indications essentielles pour le développement d’une solution expérimentale et le réglage de celle-ci. Un premier dispositif expérimental a été mis en œuvre afin de valider le processus de numérisation 3D sur des surfaces spéculaires, de géométries et de compositions variées. Par ailleurs, une comparaison de nos résultats de numérisation avec ceux d’un système conventionnel permet de démontrer la polyvalence de notre technique. En effet, à partir d’un panel d’échantillons de géométries identiques mais d’états de surface différents, nous mettons en évidence que les performances d’acquisition 3D ne sont pas influencées par la rugosité de la surface. Enfin, en se basant sur des observations empiriques, un prototype de numérisation 3D est développé afin d’apporter des améliorations conséquentes par rapport au système initial / For the past twenty years, the need for three-dimensional digitization of manufactured objects has increased significantly and consequently, many experimental techniques and commercial solutions have been proposed. However, difficulties remain for the acquisition of optically non cooperative surfaces, such as transparent or specular ones. Since the working principle of conventional scanners is based on the acquisition of the diffuse part of the reflection, transparency and specular reflections may cause outliers. To address highly reflective metallic surfaces, we propose the extension of a non conventional technique that was originally dedicated to glass objects, called “Scanning from Heating”. In contrast to classical active triangulation techniques that acquire the reflection of visible light, we measure the thermal emission of the heated surface. A laser source is geometrically calibrated with a thermal sensor to extract a cloud of 3D points from infrared images. Considering the thermo-physical properties of metals, we present a theoretical model of heat exchanges that are induced by the process, helping to demonstrate its feasibility on metallic materials. With a finite element analysis solver, results give some important indications about the conception and the settings of the experimental solution. A first device has been designed in order to validate the 3D digitization process on specular surfaces, with various geometries and compositions. Furthermore, a comparison of our results with those of a conventional system shows the versatility of our technique. Actually, from metallic samples with the same dimensions but various surface states, we prove that the accuracy of the 3D acquisition is not affected by the surface roughness variations. Finally, according to some practical observations, a 3D scanner prototype has been designed to improve the efficiency of the first system

Cette thèse s'inscrit dans le cadre de la simulation de particules colloïdales. Plus précisément, nous nous intéressons aux particules dans un écoulement turbulent et modélisons leur dynamique par un processus lagrangien, leurs interactions comme des collisions parfaitement élastiques où l'influence de l'écoulement est modélisée par un terme de force sur la composante vitesse du système. En couplant les particules deux par deux et considérant leurs position et vitesse relatives, la collision parfaitement élastique devient une condition de réflexion spéculaire. Nous proposons un schéma de discrétisation en temps pour le système Lagrangien résultant avec des conditions aux bords spéculaires et prouvons que l'erreur faible diminue au plus linéairement dans le pas de discrétisation temporelle. La démonstration s’appuie sur des résultats de régularité de l'EDP Feynman-Kac et requiert une certaine régularité sur le terme de force. Nous expérimentons numériquement certaines conjectures, dont l’erreur faible diminuant linéairement pour des termes de force qui ne respectent pas les conditions du théorème. Nous testons le taux de convergence de l’erreur faible pour l’extrapolation de Romberg. Enfin, nous nous intéressons aux approximations Lagrangiennes/Browniennes en considérant un système Lagrangien où la composante vitesse se comporte comme un processus rapide. Nous contrôlons l'erreur faible entre la composante position du modèle Lagrangien et un processus de diffusion uniformément elliptique. Nous démontrons ensuite un contrôle similaire en introduisant une limite réfléchissante spéculaire sur le système Lagrangien et une réflexion appropriée sur la diffusion elliptique. / This thesis broadly concerns colloidal particle simulation which plays an important role in understanding two-phase flows. More specifically, we track the particles inside a turbulent flow and model their dynamics as a stochastic process, their interactions as perfectly elastic collisions where the influence of the flow is modelled by a drift on the velocity term. By coupling each particle and considering their relative position and velocity, the perfectly elastic collision becomes a specular reflection condition. We put forward a time discretisation scheme for the resulting Lagrange system with specular boundary conditions and prove that the convergence rate of the weak error decreases at most linearly in the time discretisation step. The evidence is based on regularity results of the Feynman-Kac PDE and requires some regularity on the drift. We numerically experiment a series of conjectures, amongst which the weak error linearly decreasing for drifts that do not comply with the theorem conditions. We test the weak error convergence rate for a Richardson Romberg extrapolation. We finally deal with Lagrangian/Brownian approximations by considering a Lagrangian system where the velocity component behaves as a fast process. We control the weak error between the position of the Lagrangian system and an appropriately chosen uniformly elliptic diffusion process and subsequently prove a similar control by introducing a specular reflecting boundary on the Lagrangian and an appropriate reflection on the elliptic diffusion.

The functionalization of surfaces has received attention because the process allows the design and tailoring of substrate surfaces with a new or improved function. "Host-guest" thin film complexes are composed of "host" molecules attached the substrate surface, either through physisorption or covalent bonds, with cavities for the inclusion of desired "guest" molecules for the functionalization of the surface. Two methods for fabricating functional "host-guest" thin films were investigated: Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) deposition and self-assembly monolayer (SAM). Langmuir films were created at the air-water interface using octadecanesulfonic acid (C18S) as the amphiphilic "host" molecules separated by hydrophilic guanidinium (G) spacer molecules, which created a cavity allowing the inclusion of desired "guest" molecules. Surface pressure-area isotherms of the (G)C18S, with and without guests, are characterized by the lift-off molecular areas and are use to determine the proper deposition surface pressure. "Host-guest" Langmuir films are deposited onto silicon substrates using the LB deposition technique. The LB films were then subjected to stability testing using different solvents over increasing periods of time. Grazing-angle incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXD), specular X-ray reflectivity (XRR) and transfer ratio measurements were used to characterize the crystallinity, film thickness, overall film stability and film coverage. The GIXD data revealed that the crystallinity of the deposited film varies with the "guest" molecules and can be disrupted by the functional group on the "guest" molecule through hydrogen bonding. After modeling the XRR data using StochFit, it was discovered that the more polar solvent, tetrahydrofuran (THF), removed the film completely while the nonpolar solvent, hexane, compacted the thin film and increased the electron density. With transfer ratios around 0.95 to 1.05, the deposited films were homogenous. The second method used was self-assembly monolayers, which differs from Langmuir films in that they are created by a spontaneous chemical synthesis from immersing a substrate into a solution containing an active surfactant. Octadecyltrichlorosilane (OTS) was used initially as a molecule to study the self-assembled monolayer procedure. To study a "host-guest" self-assembled monolayer system, a compound is being synthesized from 9-bromoanthracene. This compound would already contain the cavity necessary for the inclusion of "guest" molecules. The solution that contained OTS was composed of a 4:1 mixture of anhydrous octadecane: chloroform. Silicon substrates with a deposited oxide layer were hydroxylated for the surfactant binding chemical reaction to occur. The OTS SAMs were exposed to the same stability tests as the LB films. Surface contact angle measurements were taken of the OTS SAMs before and after the stability tests. The contact angle prior to the stability tests was 110° (±2°). The contact angle after immersion in THF was 101° (±2°) while the contact angle resulting from immersion in hexane was 105° (±2°). From the contact angle measurements, the degradation of the OTS SAMs was less extensive than that of the (G)C18S LB films. / Master of Science

Made available in DSpace on 2014-07-29T15:25:21Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 tesedefendidarodrigo.pdf: 1424160 bytes, checksum: ba481cb9361d272aa1bf192493e601ce (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012-06-12 / To evaluate corneal endothelium by means of specular microscopy exam in patients with keratoconus, before and after Cornealring® corneal intrastromal ring surgery. A hundred and two eyes of sixty-seven patients, aged between 12 and 45, with the average age of 27,31 ± 8,15 years, 30 of whom females and 37 males, were selected to be submitted to the implant of Cornealring® corneal ring segments and evaluation of the corneal endothelium in the pre and post surgery (six months after the procedure) in the External Diseases and Cornea Ward of the Instituto Panamericano da Visão. Data have been stored for later analysis by software SPSS (Statistical Package of Social Science) for Windows 15.0. Only the eyes receiving two rings with 250 μ thickness showed significant statistical difference (p = 0,008). The remaining eyes showed no statistical difference (initial x final). In relation to the thickness and to the number of implanted rings, a decrease in the final coefficient was observed in most implanted rings. However, only the eyes that received two rings 250 μ thick showed significant difference (p=0,003), with a decrease of 10,1% in the coefficients of variation average. In relation to the thickness and number of implanted rings, a decrease in the percentage of hexagonal cells was observed (before and after surgery). Only the eyes that received two rings 250 μ thick showed a highly significant decrease (p=0,001) in relation to the hexagonal percentage of 9,7%. Although the parameters in the specular microscopy showed alterations mainly in the thicker rings, all the patients showed transparent corneas without clinical signs of endothelial suffering along the six months of follow-up. A longer period of study must be considered for better understanding and interpretation of the results obtained, in order to establish any relationship between eventual complications and the thickness of the implanted ring. / A tese tem por objetivo avaliar o endotélio corneal por meio de microscopia especular, de pacientes portadores de ceratocone, antes e após a cirurgia corneal pela técnica de anel intraestromal, utilizando o implante Cornealring®. Cento e dois olhos de 67 pacientes, com idade entre 12 e 45 anos (com média 27,31 ± 8,15 anos), sendo 30 do sexo feminino e 37 do sexo masculino, foram selecionados para serem submetidos ao implante dos segmentos do anel Cornealring® e avaliação do endotélio corneal no pré e pós-operatório, seis meses após o procedimento, no serviço de Doenças Externas e Córnea do Instituto Panamericano da Visão. Os dados foram armazenados, para posterior análise no software Statistical Package of Social Science (SPSS) para Windows, versão 15.0. Apenas os olhos que receberam dois anéis de espessura de 250 μ apresentaram diferença estatisticamente significativa da densidade endotelial (p = 0,008). Nos demais olhos, não houve diferença estatística (antes e após a cirurgia corneal). Notou-se que, na maioria das espessuras de anéis utilizados, houve uma diminuição do coeficiente de variação após a cirurgia corneal. Porém, só os olhos que receberam dois anéis de espessuras de 250 μ mostraram diferença significativa (p=0,003), com uma diminuição de 10,1% na média do coeficiente de variação. Observou-se diminuição no percentual de células hexagonais em relação, no tocante à espessura e à quantidade de anéis implantados. Somente os olhos que receberam os dois anéis de espessura de 250 μ mostraram diminuição altamente significativa (p=0,001), em relação ao percentual hexagonal de 9,7%. Apesar de os parâmetros na microscopia especular mostrarem-se alterados, sobretudo nos anéis com espessura maior, todos os pacientes apresentaram córneas transparentes sem sinais clínicos de sofrimento endotelial ao longo dos seis meses de seguimento. Maior tempo de estudo deve ser considerado para melhor compreensão e interpretação dos resultados encontrados, a fim de ser estabelecida alguma relação entre possíveis complicações e a espessura do anel implantado.