# Wide-field corneal microlayer tomography for keratoconus

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI SCHOOL OF MEDICINE · 2023 · $403,627

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
The long-term goal of this project is to improve diagnosis and management of keratoconus.
The efficacy of corneal crosslinking for progressive keratoconus has generated interest in
detecting the disease at an earlier stage in hopes of preventing progression leading to vision
loss. Yet, there is currently no clinical evidence supporting the benefits of early treatment of
keratoconus with crosslinking. The primary barrier in designing studies that address this
question is the lack of diagnostic technology to identify keratoconus in the early stages. The
project addresses this technological need.
Current keratoconus diagnosis relies primarily on measurements of corneal shape. Since shape
changes are secondary to microstructural alterations, a method to image the corneal
microstructure could enable detection of keratoconus at an earlier stage. Alterations in the
corneal epithelium and Bowman’s layer are among the first histophatologic signs of
keratoconus. Our goal is to develop the first widefield OCT imaging modality to quantify
structural and optical alterations of the epithelium and Bowman’s layer from the center to the
periphery of the cornea. The technology will then be used to prove that alterations in Bowman’s
layer and epithelium can be quantified across the entire cornea in keratoconus subjects.
The project has two specific aims:
Aim 1: To develop Widefield Corneal Microlayer Tomography (wCMT). The technology is
based on high-resolution OCT combined with a new beam scanning approach to enable
widefield imaging of the cornea. We will develop OCT image processing tools to generate the
first volumetric thickness and optical scattering maps of the epithelium and Bowman’s layer over
the entire cornea. The system and software will be tested on healthy and keratoconus subjects.
Aim 2: To map the alterations of Bowman’s layer and epithelium over the entire cornea
with wCMT in keratoconus. We will prove that wCMT can quantify alterations in Bowman’s
layer and epithelium from the center to the periphery of the cornea. Data acquired on control
subjects and patients with early-stage to moderate keratoconus will be used to prove that wCMT
can detect alterations in Bowman’s layer and epithelium from the early stage of the disease.
In the long term, the technology will have an important positive impact as it lays the foundation
for the discovery of structural biomarkers that will enable the detection of keratoconus at an
earlier stage.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10543502
- **Project number:** 5R01EY033429-02
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
- **Principal Investigator:** Mohamed Fadel Abou Shousha
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2023
- **Award amount:** $403,627
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2022-01-01 → 2026-12-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10543502

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10543502, Wide-field corneal microlayer tomography for keratoconus (5R01EY033429-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10543502. Licensed CC0.

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