Wide-field corneal microlayer tomography for keratoconus

项目总结 该项目的长期目标是改善圆锥角膜的诊断和治疗。 角膜交联术治疗进行性圆锥角膜的疗效已引起人们的兴趣。 及早发现疾病，希望防止病情恶化导致视力下降 损失。然而，目前还没有临床证据支持早期治疗糖尿病的益处。 交联型圆锥角膜。设计解决这一问题的研究的主要障碍是 问题是缺乏早期识别圆锥角膜的诊断技术。这个 该项目解决了这一技术需求。 目前圆锥角膜的诊断主要依赖于角膜形状的测量。自形 微结构变化是次要的，这是一种对角膜进行成像的方法 显微结构可早期发现圆锥角膜。建筑的改动 角膜上皮和鲍曼层是最早的组织病理学征象之一 圆锥角膜。我们的目标是开发第一个可量化的广域OCT成像设备 上皮和鲍曼层从中央到中央的结构和光学变化 角膜的周边。然后这项技术将被用来证明鲍曼的改变 在圆锥角膜受试者中，可以量化整个角膜的层和上皮细胞。 该项目有两个具体目标： 目的1：研制宽视野角膜微层CT(Widefield Corneal Microlayer Tomography，WCMT)。这项技术是 基于高分辨率OCT结合新的光束扫描方法，使 角膜的宽视场成像。我们将开发OCT图像处理工具来生成 上皮层和鲍曼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身上进行测试。 目的2：绘制整个角膜的鲍曼层和上皮的变化图 在圆锥角膜上进行的WCMT。我们将证明WCMT可以量化Bowman‘s的变化 从角膜中央到周边的层状和上皮层。通过控制获取的数据 早期至中度圆锥角膜的受试者和患者将被用来证明WCMT 可以检测到疾病早期鲍曼氏层和上皮细胞的变化。 从长远来看，这项技术将产生重要的积极影响，因为它奠定了基础 发现结构生物标志物，使圆锥角膜的检测成为可能 早些时候。

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.