THREE DIMENSIONAL OCULAR IMAGING USING ULTRASOUND

我们建议开发一种超声系统，用于成像眼睛的各层和解剖特征。我们的系统将结合一种新型的眼睛换能器阵列，该阵列由一个弯曲的二维阵列组成。该系统将允许临床医生制作高分辨率的角膜层地图，成像角膜病变和疤痕等角膜病理，并评估虹膜-角膜角度。该系统将提供比单传感器系统更好的图像质量，能够以极快的速度对眼睛的大片区域进行成像，不会受到眼睛运动引起的问题的影响，并将增加患者的舒适度。在该计划的第一和第二阶段，我们将制造一个眼睛换能器阵列的原型，在一系列体外测试中评估其性能，然后将该系统安装在临床环境中。一旦投入临床，该系统将用于几个临床评估，包括测试我们的假设，即屈光手术的成功率可以通过对角膜各层(特别是上皮)厚度的先验知识来增加。目前，屈光手术只能在大约一半的患者中通过一次手术达到20/20的视力。建议的商业应用根据该计划开发的成像技术有两个主要的商业应用。首先，我们预计我们的技术提供的数据将显著提高屈光手术的成功率，我们的技术将成为手术规划过程中不可或缺的一部分。其次，成像技术还将为各种眼部病变的临床成像和对胶质瘤的评估提供强大的工具。

We propose to develop an ultrasound system for imaging the layers and anatomic features of the eye. Our system will incorporate a novel ocular transducer array comprised of a curved two-dimensional array. This system will permit the clinician to make high-resolution maps of the layers of cornea, image corneal pathologies like mass lesions and scarring, and evaluate the irido-corneal angle. The system will provide significantly better image quality than single-transducer systems, be able to image a large area of the eye extremely rapidly, will not be subject to problems caused by ocular motion and will increase patient comfort. During Phases I and II of this program, we will fabricate a prototype ocular transducer array, evaluate its performance in a series of in vitro tests, and then install the system in a clinical setting. Once in the clinic, the system will be used for several clinical evaluations, including testing our hypothesis that the success rate of refractive surgery can be increased by a priori knowledge of the thickness of individual layers of the cornea (particularly the epithelium). Currently, refractive surgery can only achieve 20/20 vision in about one-half of patients with a single procedure. PROPOSED COMMERCIAL APPLICATION There are two primary commercial applications for the imaging technology developed under this program. First, we anticipate that the data provided by our technology will significantly improve the success rate of refractive surgery procedures and that our technology will become an integral part of the surgical planning process. Second, the imaging technology will also provide a powerful tool for clinical imaging of a variety of ocular pathologies and in the assessment of gluacoma.