# High-resolution Elastographic Assessment of the Optic Nerve Head

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA · 2021 · $656,389

## Abstract

Abstract
Glaucoma is a leading cause of irreversible blindness worldwide, affecting over 2.2 million Americans. With an
aging population, it is estimated that by 2020 the number of people suffering glaucoma will reach 80 million
worldwide, with 11 bilaterally blind. The goal of this study is to develop a novel tool for imaging and measuring
elastic properties of the optic nerve head (ONH) and lamina cribrosa (LC) non-invasively. To address this goal,
we propose to use phase-resolved OCT to detect small displacements induced by acoustic radiation force
(ARF) in the ONH. We further propose to build a novel single crystal 2D array operating in the 4~10 MHz range
to generate the ARF pushing force. We propose to use single crystal ultrasound transducers for increased
sensitivity. The combined system will enable us to generate images depicting local displacements with
nanometer resolution. Using state-of-the-art numerical models this data will be integrated with the complex
tissue macro and microstructure to determine the anisotropic, inhomogeneous elastic properties of the tissues
of the ONH with high resolution and sensitivity. This will allow us to characterize in detail the association
between age, race and gender on the mechanical properties of the tissues of the ONH. Our Specific Aims are:
Specific Aim 1: Develop single crystal 2D ultrasound array for ARF pushing force generation.
Specific Aim 2: Develop an integrated 2D array ARF-Optical coherence elastography (OCE) system that
enables coregistered OCT, US, and ARF-OCE imaging.
Specific Aim 3: Develop and validate numerical models that integrate the experimental data from Aims 1 and
2 to determine the local mechanical properties of the LC and ONH.
Specific Aim 4: Conduct ex-vivo elastography of human cadaveric and rabbit eyes to establish the capability
and assess the performance of the ARF-OCE system to detect changes in ONH and LC tissue properties
associated with age, gender and species. In human eyes, we will also determine differences due to race or
disease and between regions of the ONH.
Specific Aim 5: Demonstrate preclinical imaging capability with in-vivo imaging of LC and ONH in rabbit eyes
using ARF-OCE system and optimize system for in-vivo imaging.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10162604
- **Project number:** 5R01EY028662-04
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
- **Principal Investigator:** ZHONGPING CHEN
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $656,389
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2018-04-01 → 2024-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10162604

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10162604, High-resolution Elastographic Assessment of the Optic Nerve Head (5R01EY028662-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10162604. Licensed CC0.

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