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Assessing Corneal Endothelial Damage Using Terahertz Time-Domain Spectroscopy and Support Vector Machines
Andrew Chen1, Zachery B Harris1, Arjun Virk1
1Department of Biomedical Engineering, Stony Brook University, 100 Nicolls Rd, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA.
Sensors (Basel, Switzerland)
|December 11, 2022
Summary
Terahertz (THz) imaging noninvasively assesses corneal endothelium health by detecting hydration changes. This technology can differentiate between intact and damaged corneal layers, aiding in diagnosing eye conditions.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Biomedical Engineering
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- The corneal endothelium regulates eye hydration; damage causes edema, affecting vision.
- Corneal edema impacts transparency and visual acuity, necessitating diagnostic tools.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate terahertz (THz) scanning for non-contact assessment of corneal endothelial integrity.
- To correlate THz spectral properties with corneal hydration and endothelial cell density.
Main Methods:
- Ex vivo porcine eyes underwent induced edema by altering intraocular pressure.
- Terahertz (THz) spectroscopy was used to analyze corneal hydration changes (0.4–0.8 THz).
- Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) assessed endothelial cell density for correlation.
Main Results:
- THz spectral slopes varied significantly with induced corneal edema.
- THz response correlated with endothelial cell density, distinguishing intact from damaged layers.
- Statistically significant differences in THz spectra indicate endothelial layer status.
Conclusions:
- Terahertz (THz) imaging offers a non-invasive method to assess corneal endothelium health.
- This technique provides valuable data for diagnosing corneal diseases affecting hydration.
- THz technology can complement existing methods for corneal assessment.
