Device Development for Ocular Surface Temperature and Heat Flux Density Measurement

Abstract

Purpose Currently, much attention is paid to measuring the temperature of the ocular surface in various ophthalmic diseases. However, for a comprehensive assessment of heat transfer of the eye, it is advisable to measure both the ocular surface temperature and the heat flux (HF) density. This will expand our knowledge of the physiology of the eye and create new possibilities for diagnosing ocular pathology. The present study aimed to develop a thermoelectric device to study rabbits’ ocular surface temperature and HF density. Methods The multichannel thermoelectric device was developed to measure the ocular surface temperature and HF density. This study included ten rabbits (20 eyes). In all animals, the temperature and the HF density were measured on the surface of the central cornea of both eyes. The measurement was repeated after pupils’ dilation. Results The corneal surface temperature of rabbits was 33.1 ± 0.8 °C, and the HF density of the surface of the cornea was 8.3 ± 0.6 mW/cm2. Our results revealed a high degree of interocular symmetry in the surface HF density in healthy rabbits. After pupil dilation, an increase in the HF density on the surface of the rabbit cornea compared with the initial data and control eye was noted. Conclusions The application of the developed device showed that it is safe and allows for the measurement of the ocular surface temperature and the HF density. We believe that further studies on the ocular surface HF density measurement in various eye diseases will allow us to evaluate the possibilities of this device and technique for diagnostic purposes.