A Method for Visualizing Corneal Dynamics Through Pixel Intensity Tracking

To develop a methodology for analyzing dynamic corneal images using pixel intensity tracking and hue, saturation, and value (HSV) color space transformation, aiming to quantify and visually interpret corneal responsiveness to mechanical stimulation.

This study utilized the OCULUS Corvis ST device to obtain dynamic corneal images from two subject groups (young and older individuals). To ensure accurate pixel tracking, segmentation and registration techniques were implemented. To counteract potential biases due to alterations in curvature and eye retraction caused by the air-puff mechanical stimulus, the last 30 frames available post-stimulus were used for analysis. Pixel intensity tracking calculations were then performed in the frequency domain to compute H, S, and V values for each pixel within the overall region of interest. Additionally, corneal biomechanical parameters from the Corvis ST were extracted to examine their relationship with HSV values.

The HSV transformation provided a quantitative visual interpretation of corneal dynamics, with reddish vibrant areas indicating higher responsiveness to mechanical stimulation and dull blue areas indicating lower responsiveness. Additionally, significant differences were found between the young and older groups in each of the three HSV channels (all P < 0.001). Four biomechanical parameters showed statistically significant differences between groups (P < 0.05), but no statistically significant correlation with HSV values was found.

The HSV methodology effectively visualizes and quantifies corneal responsiveness to mechanical stimulation, offering a new approach for assessing corneal dynamics.

HSV color space analysis has the potential to enhance the diagnosis and management of conditions in which corneal dynamics are affected.