The anisotropic material constitutive models for the human cornea

Area of Science:

• Biomechanical Engineering
• Ophthalmology
• Materials Science

Background:

• The human cornea exhibits anisotropic mechanical properties crucial for maintaining intraocular pressure and visual function.
• Existing models often simplify corneal structure, potentially limiting accurate biomechanical predictions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an anisotropic analysis model for the human cornea based on its laminated composite structure.
• To investigate the influence of fibril orientation within lamellae and the random alignment of lamellae on corneal biomechanics.

Main Methods:

• The human cornea is modeled as a laminated composite shell.
• Constitutive equations relating forces, moments, strains, and curvatures are derived.
• The impact of lamellar orientation and random alignment on stiffness coefficients is analyzed.

Main Results:

• The derived constitutive equations capture the anisotropic behavior of the cornea.
• Lamellar orientation significantly affects the cornea's stiffness coefficients.
• Random alignment of lamellae also influences the overall mechanical response.

Conclusions:

• The proposed laminated composite shell model provides a more accurate representation of corneal biomechanics.
• Understanding the role of fibril organization is key to predicting corneal mechanical behavior.
• This model can aid in the development of treatments and surgical interventions for corneal diseases.