Wide-field corneal microlayer tomography for keratoconus

项目摘要 该项目的长期目标是提高圆锥角膜的诊断和管理。 角膜交联治疗进行性圆锥角膜的疗效引起了人们的兴趣， 在早期阶段检测疾病，希望防止疾病进展导致视力 损失然而，目前没有临床证据支持早期治疗的益处。 具有交联的圆锥角膜。设计解决这一问题的研究的主要障碍 问题是缺乏早期诊断圆锥角膜的诊断技术。的 项目满足了这一技术需求。 目前圆锥角膜的诊断主要依赖于角膜形状的测量。自形 这些变化是继发于微结构改变的，微结构改变是一种对角膜进行成像的方法， 显微结构可以在早期阶段检测圆锥角膜。的改变 角膜上皮和Bowman层是最早的组织病理学标志之一， 圆锥角膜我们的目标是开发第一个宽视场OCT成像模式， 上皮和Bowman层从中心到中心的结构和光学改变 角膜的周边。这项技术将被用来证明鲍曼基因的改变 层和上皮可以在圆锥角膜受试者的整个角膜上定量。 该项目有两个具体目标： 目的1：研制宽视野角膜微层断层扫描仪（wCMT）。该技术 基于高分辨率OCT结合新的光束扫描方法， 角膜的宽视野成像。我们将开发OCT图像处理工具来生成 上皮和Bowman层的第一体积厚度和光学散射图 整个角膜。该系统和软件将在健康和圆锥角膜受试者中进行测试。 目的2：绘制整个角膜Bowman层和上皮的变化 wCMT治疗圆锥角膜。我们将证明wCMT可以量化Bowman's的改变， 从角膜的中心到周边的角膜层和上皮。对照品采集的数据 将使用早期至中度圆锥角膜受试者和患者来证明wCMT 可以从疾病的早期阶段检测Bowman层和上皮的改变。 从长远来看，该技术将产生重要的积极影响，因为它奠定了基础 用于发现结构生物标志物，从而能够在 早期阶段

PROJECT SUMMARY The long-term goal of this project is to improve diagnosis and management of keratoconus. The efficacy of corneal crosslinking for progressive keratoconus has generated interest in detecting the disease at an earlier stage in hopes of preventing progression leading to vision loss. Yet, there is currently no clinical evidence supporting the benefits of early treatment of keratoconus with crosslinking. The primary barrier in designing studies that address this question is the lack of diagnostic technology to identify keratoconus in the early stages. The project addresses this technological need. Current keratoconus diagnosis relies primarily on measurements of corneal shape. Since shape changes are secondary to microstructural alterations, a method to image the corneal microstructure could enable detection of keratoconus at an earlier stage. Alterations in the corneal epithelium and Bowman’s layer are among the first histophatologic signs of keratoconus. Our goal is to develop the first widefield OCT imaging modality to quantify structural and optical alterations of the epithelium and Bowman’s layer from the center to the periphery of the cornea. The technology will then be used to prove that alterations in Bowman’s layer and epithelium can be quantified across the entire cornea in keratoconus subjects. The project has two specific aims: Aim 1: To develop Widefield Corneal Microlayer Tomography (wCMT). The technology is based on high-resolution OCT combined with a new beam scanning approach to enable widefield imaging of the cornea. We will develop OCT image processing tools to generate the first volumetric thickness and optical scattering maps of the epithelium and Bowman’s layer over the entire cornea. The system and software will be tested on healthy and keratoconus subjects. Aim 2: To map the alterations of Bowman’s layer and epithelium over the entire cornea with wCMT in keratoconus. We will prove that wCMT can quantify alterations in Bowman’s layer and epithelium from the center to the periphery of the cornea. Data acquired on control subjects and patients with early-stage to moderate keratoconus will be used to prove that wCMT can detect alterations in Bowman’s layer and epithelium from the early stage of the disease. In the long term, the technology will have an important positive impact as it lays the foundation for the discovery of structural biomarkers that will enable the detection of keratoconus at an earlier stage.