Clinical multimodal Brillouin microscopy-optical coherence elastography system for lens biomechanics

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Biomedical Engineering
• Biophysics

Background:

• Estimating the biomechanical properties of the in vivo crystalline lens is crucial for evaluating new therapies for conditions like presbyopia.
• Current methods face challenges in providing quantitative biomechanical data for the human anterior and mid eye segments.

Purpose of the Study:

• Develop a multimodal elastography device for high-performance sequential 3D imaging.
• Integrate Brillouin microscopy and optical coherence elastography (OCE) for comprehensive lens analysis.

Main Methods:

• Combined Brillouin spectroscopy and OCE on a modified slit lamp platform.
• Characterized the multimodal system and tested it on porcine and human eyes.
• Performed in vivo measurements on a human subject.

Main Results:

• Achieved peak operating performance for both OCE and Brillouin microscopy in clinical imaging.
• Successfully measured biomechanical properties of an in situ porcine lens.
• Reported successful in vivo measurements of a human crystalline lens.

Conclusions:

• Demonstrated the first successful multimodal OCE and Brillouin microscopy measurement in a human subject.
• The developed instrument can characterize the biomechanical status of the aging crystalline lens.
• This technology holds potential for advancing the understanding and treatment of presbyopia.