# Optical Coherence Elastography of the Cornea

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON · 2021 · $397,700

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
The fundamental physical properties of the outer tunic of the eye determine the structural characteristics of the
ocular globe and may be altered in several devastating disease states including axial elongation in myopia,
pathological deformation in keratoconus, and iatrogenic keratoectasia following corneal refractive surgery. These
biomechanical tissue characteristics not only influence our clinical interpretation of diagnostic tests, e.g.
measurement of intraocular pressure, but have been implicated as important factors in the development of
glaucoma. Currently, there is no available reliable method to perform quantitative measurement of corneal
elasticity in vivo. Here we will develop novel method for the assessment of corneal elastic properties that could
potentially be used for routine clinical diagnostic and treatment. This method will take advantages of highly
localized air pressure stimulation and ultra-sensitive detection and analysis of the pressure waves propagation
on corneal posterior and anterior surfaces with a line-field Optical Coherence Tomography to reconstruct
volumetric biomechanical properties of the cornea. Our previous work has made fundamental advances in the
understanding of corneal biomechanics through a novel approach with potentially impactful applications in other
disciplines (e.g. cataract surgery, LAISK, corneal cross-linking, and tissue transplants with personalize
treatments). The proposed studies will accelerate transition of this technology into clinics, influence our selection
and application of corneal surgical treatments and will help us to understand the structural consequences of
corneal disease and wound healing:
Aim 1. Develop a line-field OCE (LF-OCE) system for ultrafast 3D clinical imaging.
Aim 2. In vivo studies with rabbits.
Aim 3. Preliminary clinical studies in humans.
Aim 4. Refine numerical (FEM) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) models of the depth-dependent nonlinear
viscoelastic properties of the cornea.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10256083
- **Project number:** 5R01EY022362-09
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON
- **Principal Investigator:** Salavat R Aglyamov
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $397,700
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2012-06-01 → 2024-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10256083

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10256083, Optical Coherence Elastography of the Cornea (5R01EY022362-09). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10256083. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*