Imaging to predict refractive outcomes after corneal endothelial keratoplasty

描述（由申请人提供）：首席研究员（PI）目前由杜克大学K12机制资助。该职业发展建议描述了指导培训和研究计划的延续和扩展，以在奖励期结束时将PI发展为独立的临床科学家。杜克眼科中心和杜克大学（培训地点）拥有出色的培训环境，拥有众多资源、互动、设施和独特的学习机会。杜克大学坚定地致力于培训和支持下一代临床科学家。PI同样致力于临床科学家的职业生涯。PI的研究重点是诊断光学设备的开发和临床翻译，以解决眼科护理中的挑战。本研究计划使用光谱域光学相干断层扫描（SDOCT）成像来检查角膜内皮角膜移植术（EK）的光学后果，并提出一种新的方法来模拟和预测移植前这些光学变化。角膜EK已成为手术治疗角膜内皮功能障碍（如Fuchs角膜内皮营养不良）的首选治疗方法，但也产生了意想不到的光学后果。第一个目标描述了基于宿主和供体角膜组织原位成像的手术结果的预测光学模型的创建。第二个目标描述了基于图像的模型与角膜EK后临床结果的验证。本研究结果将为独立研究方案提供初步数据基础，以更好地预测和定位角膜移植术后屈光结果。为了达到短期的职业发展和研究目标，PI将继续接受生物医学工程和临床研究方面的教学培训，并由一个由生物医学工程师和临床科学家组成的多学科团队指导。从长远来看，PI将利用这一职业发展时期的知识和培训继续诊断光学设备的开发和这些设备的早期临床翻译，以解决临床眼病理。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The principal investigator (PI) is currently funded by the K12 mechanism at Duke University. This career development proposal describes a continuation and expansion of the mentored training and research plan to develop the PI as an independent clinician-scientist by the conclusion of the award period. The Duke Eye Center and Duke University (sites of training) are outstanding training environments with numerous resources, interactions, facilities, and unique learning opportunities. Duke has made a strong commitment to training and supporting the next generation of clinician-scientists. The PI is similarly committed to a career as a clinician- scientist. The PI's research focuses on the development and clinical translation of diagnostic optical devices to address challenges in ophthalmic care. This research proposal uses spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SDOCT) imaging to examine the optical consequences of corneal endothelial keratoplasty (EK) and proposes a novel method to model and predict these optical changes prior to transplantation. Corneal EK has become the treatment of choice in the surgical management of corneal endothelial dysfunction such as Fuchs' corneal endothelial dystrophy but has had unintended optical consequences. The first aim describes the creation of a predictive optical model of the procedure outcome based on in situ imaging of the host and donor corneal tissues. The second aim describes validation of the image based model with clinical outcomes after corneal EK. The results of this study will provide preliminary data as the basis for an independent research proposal to better predict and target refractive results after keratoplasty. To achieve both the short- term career development and research goals, the PI will continue to receive didactic training in both biomedical engineering and clinical research and will be mentored by a multi-disciplinary team of biomedical engineers, and clinician-scientists. In the long-term, the PI will use the knowledge and training from this career development period to continue diagnostic optical device development and early stage clinical translation of these devices to address clinical ocular pathologies.