The previous researches have demonstrated biomechanical elasticity of optic nerve head is associated with multiple ophthalmic diseases. In this work, we have demonstrated a method to quantify in-vivo elastography of ONH, by using a confocal lamb wave acoustic radiation force optical coherence elastography (ARF-OCE). The ARF-OCE system is based on a phase resolved SD-OCT system combined with an acoustic transducer. Experiments were performed on New Zealand White rabbit eyes in vivo after anesthesia. We have obtained 3D reconstructed OCT images of ONH and the time-resolved elastic map of peripheral retina under various Intraocular pressure.
We characterized the stiffness and anisotropy of the equatorial sclera and its dependence on intraocular pressure (IOP). Porcine eyes were tested using ultrasound elastography under IOP control. Shear waves were induced using a mechanical shaker, and an off-axis 17.8 MHz transducer used to track the wave propagation in the equatorial and anterior-posterior directions. Wave speed was measured and used to estimate directional Young’s moduli. Anisotropy was defined as the ratio of the equatorial moduli to the anterior-posterior moduli. Sclera was stiffer in the equatorial direction, with anisotropy decreasing with IOP, from, 5.1 at 10 mmHg to 3.7 at 30 mmHg.
Most soft tissues, such as cornea and sclera, exhibit mechanical anisotropy. Obtaining the anisotropy properties of the sclera can be helpful in understanding the mechanical properties of the eyes in the development and progression of glaucoma and myopia. In this work, we have demonstrated a method of quantifying the anisotropic Young’s modulus values for sclera, using a confocal Lamb wave based acoustic radiation force optical coherence elastography (ARF-OCE). We have measured mechanical anisotropy in porcine sclera by measuring the Young’s modulus along both the equator direction and anterior to posterior direction. The results demonstrate the Young’s modus in the equator direction is 15-30% higher than that in the anterior to posterior direction.
The mechanosensitivity of the optic nerve head (ONH) plays a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of glaucoma. Characterizing elasticity of the ONH over changing physiological pressure may provide a better understanding of how changes in intraocular pressure (IOP) lead to changes in the mechanical environment of the ONH. Optical coherence elastography (OCE) is an emerging technique that can detect tissue biomechanics noninvasively with both high temporal and spatial resolution compared with conventional ultrasonic elastography. We describe a confocal OCE system in measuring ONH elasticity in vitro, utilizing a pressure inflation setup in which IOP is controlled precisely. We further utilize the Lamb wave model to fit the phase dispersion curve during data postprocessing. We present a reconstruction of Young’s modulus of the ONH by combining our OCE system with a Lamb wave model for the first time. This approach enables the quantification of Young’s modulus of the ONH, which can be fit using a piecewise polynomial to the corresponding IOP.
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