In vivo human corneal natural frequency quantification using dynamic optical coherence elastography: Repeatability...

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Biomedical Engineering
• Optical Physics

Background:

• Accurate corneal biomechanics assessment is crucial for diagnosing and managing corneal diseases.
• Current methods for corneal biomechanical evaluation have limitations.
• Novel non-invasive techniques are needed for quantitative analysis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the repeatability and reproducibility of a novel optical coherence tomography-based elastography (OCT-OCE) method.
• To assess the in vivo quantification of corneal natural frequency in normal human eyes.
• To explore the feasibility of using OCT-OCE for detailed biomechanical analysis.

Main Methods:

• A novel OCT-elastography technique was employed using low-force air pulses to induce corneal oscillations.
• Phase-sensitive OCT imaging captured sub-micron corneal movements.
• A single degree of freedom model quantified corneal natural frequencies from oscillation data.

Main Results:

• The OCT-OCE method demonstrated high repeatability and reproducibility for in vivo corneal natural frequency measurements.
• Corneal natural frequencies ranged from 234 to 277 Hz with a low coefficient of variation (3.2%).
• Efficient measurements were achieved with smaller sampling sizes and shorter acquisition times, and spatial variations were detectable.

Conclusions:

• The novel OCT-based elastography method offers a reliable and repeatable approach for in vivo human corneal natural frequency quantification.
• This technique shows potential as a complementary tool to existing OCE methods for comprehensive corneal biomechanical assessment.
• Further research is warranted to investigate anatomical and structural influences on measured frequencies.