Quantitative 3-dimensional corneal imaging in vivo using a modified HRT-RCM confocal microscope

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Biomedical Engineering
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Quantitative imaging of the full corneal thickness is crucial for understanding corneal diseases and evaluating treatments.
• Existing imaging systems may have limitations in resolution or depth penetration for comprehensive corneal analysis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate hardware and software modifications for the Heidelberg Retina Tomograph (HRT) Rostock Cornea Module.
• To enable quantitative, full-thickness corneal imaging in vivo.

Main Methods:

• Integrated a computer-controlled motor drive for automated focusing through the entire cornea.
• Acquired image sequences from rabbit corneas (endothelium to epithelium).
• Developed custom software for depth calculation, sublayer thickness measurement, and 3D visualization.

Main Results:

• Achieved high-resolution 3D image stacks of the full-thickness rabbit cornea in vivo.
• Measured mean epithelial thickness (47 ± 5 μm) and corneal thickness (373 ± 25 μm).
• Determined mean in vivo keratocyte density (43,246 ± 5603 cells/mm³) with a decreasing anterior-to-posterior gradient.

Conclusions:

• The modified HRT Rostock Cornea Module system provides quantitative, high-resolution 3D imaging of the full cornea.
• Enables interactive visualization, sublayer thickness measurement, and depth-dependent cell density analysis.
• Significantly expands the quantitative research capabilities of the HRT Rostock Cornea Module for ophthalmology.