Dynamic optical coherence elastography: Emerging tool for noninvasive quantification of mechanical properties of ocular tissues

Abstract

Optical coherence elastography (OCE) is an emerging method for noninvasive quantification of tissue viscoelastic properties. The underlying technology is based on Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) imaging and analysis of external (or internal) force-induced mechanical waves propagating through the tissue. In this presentation, I will overview recent progress made in my lab on quantification of mechanical properties of ocular tissues (such as cornea and the lens of the eye) using OCE and their alternations during diseases progression. In particular, I will demonstrate that it is possible to quantify mechanical properties of the cornea and lens as a function of Intra-Ocular Pressure (IOP) and during controlled tissue modifications and treatments, such as corneal cross-linking. These results indicate that OCE is a powerful new technology that can be utilized for the nondestructive biomechanical characterization of ocular tissues in normal and pathological states and could not only assist in basic biomechanical studies but also lead to a new class of optical sensors for diagnosis of diseases. [Work supported, in part, by the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) under Grant Nos. 2R01EY022362 and 1R01HL120140 and U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP) under Grant No. PR150338.]