Optical Coherence Elastography of the Cornea

描述（由申请人提供）：眼球外膜的基本物理特性决定了眼球的结构特征，并可能在几种疾病状态下发生改变，包括近视的轴向伸长、圆锥角膜的病理性变形和角膜屈光手术后的医源性角膜扩张。这些生物力学组织特征不仅影响我们对诊断测试的临床解释，例如眼压的测量，而且被认为是青光眼和其他疾病发展的重要因素。目前，还没有可靠的方法来测量角膜的体内结构特性。在这里，我们将开发一种新的方法，用于角膜弹性特性的地形评估，可能用于常规临床诊断和治疗监测。该方法将利用局部脉冲空气刺激在角膜内产生微观压力波，并使用相敏扫源光学相干断层扫描来检测和分析由此产生的压力波在角膜内的传播，以重建该组织的体积生物力学特性。我们的长期目标是利用这个研究团队的协调才能，生产新的弹性成像仪器/方法，可以扩展我们目前对组织生物力学基本原理的理解，并将这些知识应用于眼科疾病的临床相关问题。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The fundamental physical properties of the outer tunic of the eye determine the structural characteristics of the ocular globe and may be altered in several disease states including axial elongation in myopia, pathological deformation in keratoconus, and iatrogenic keratoectasia following corneal refractive surgery. These biomechanical tissue characteristics not only influence our clinical interpretation of diagnostic tests, e.g. measurement of intraocular pressure, but have been implicated as important factors in the development of glaucoma and other diseases. Currently, there is no reliable method to perform measurements of corneal structural properties in vivo. Here we will develop a novel method for the topographical assessment of corneal elastic properties that could potentially be used for routine clinical diagnosis and monitoring of treatment. This method will take advantage of localized pulsed-air stimulation to generate microscopic pressure waves within the cornea and use phase-sensitive swept-source optical coherence tomography to detect and analyze the resultant pressure wave propagation within the cornea to reconstruct volumetric biomechanical properties of this tissue. Our long-term objectives are to use the coordinated talents of this research team to produce novel elasticity imaging instrumentation/methods that can extend our current understanding of the basic principles of tissue biomechanics and apply this knowledge to clinically relevant problems in ocular disease. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: This proposal will develop novel technology and methods for noninvasive reconstruction of biomechanical properties of the cornea. Development of such a technique would significantly advance our understanding of the corneal disorders, allow developing novel clinical therapies and interventions, and improve outcome of current surgical interventions including corneal refractive surgery.