Need for technologies in advanced corneal research, diagnosis, and transplantation

Abstract

Never before have optical, information, and biomedical technologies converged to the extent they do today. Moreover, the accessibility of enormous amounts of computing power at reasonable cost has transformed raw data into useable information that can enable biological discoveries and medical decisions to be made faster and more accurate than ever before. In the field of ophthalmology in particular, advanced optical instrumentation, devices, and procedures have revolutionized the standard of care and improved outcomes for millions, for the benefit of society. The cornea is the clear outer window of the eye and is directly accessible for examination and treatment using light-based approaches, and as such it provides us with a unique window into the physiology of the body in health and disease. At the same time, the cornea is a model tissue from which we have acquired much knowledge about light-tissue interactions. Finally, and importantly, diseases of the cornea compromising its transparency are responsible for millions of cases of corneal blindness globally, so there is much to gain from technological advancements in the field. Here, a need for new technological solutions is presented, that is not primarily technology-driven but instead motivated by real and pressing medical needs in the research, diagnosis and treatment of corneal blindness.