Biomechanical diagnostics of the cornea.

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Biomechanical Engineering
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Corneal biomechanics is crucial for diagnosing and managing ophthalmic conditions.
• Clinical biomechanical assessment is vital in refractive surgery to predict risks like iatrogenic ectasia.
• Early detection of corneal ectatic diseases is essential for preventing complications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review recent advancements in detecting corneal ectatic diseases.
• To highlight the integration of multimodal imaging and biomechanical assessments.
• To explore the role of artificial intelligence in enhancing diagnostic accuracy.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing multimodal corneal and refractive imaging techniques (e.g., topography, tomography, OCT, ultrasound, biometry).
• Employing non-contact tonometry systems (e.g., Ocular Response Analyzer, Corvis ST) for biomechanical assessment.
• Incorporating Brillouin optical microscopy for in vivo biomechanical measurements.
• Integrating tomographic and biomechanical data with artificial intelligence.

Main Results:

• Multimodal imaging combined with biomechanical data improves ectasia detection.
• AI integration enhances the accuracy of identifying susceptibility to biomechanical failure and ectasia progression.
• Advanced techniques offer more precise in vivo biomechanical measurements.

Conclusions:

• Latest developments in corneal biomechanics significantly improve ectasia detection.
• The synergy of advanced imaging, biomechanical assessment, and AI is key to accurate diagnosis and risk stratification.
• This approach is critical for managing patients undergoing refractive surgery and those with corneal diseases.