# Cornea biomechanical analysis with Brillouin microscopy

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIV OF MARYLAND, COLLEGE PARK · 2024 · $678,729

## Abstract

ABSTRACT:
Keratoconus and surgical correction of myopia are separate but interrelated issues of major significance for
which a clear unmet need is the measurement of local corneal biomechanical properties. Indeed, the lack of
effective biomechanical measurements forces clinicians to rely on morphologic surrogates, e.g. curvature and
thickness, which are insufficient to identify keratoconus before vision is compromised, screen at-risk surgical
candidates, or predict treatment outcomes after laser vision correction (LVC) or corneal cross-linking (CXL). To
address this need, in the initial funding period of our research program we developed a highly sensitive clinical
instrument based on Motion-Tracking (MT) Brillouin microscopy; measured Brillouin corneal maps in over 200
eyes; provided the first demonstration of superior performance of biomechanical vs morphologic imaging in
identifying early-stage and subclinical keratoconus; and, characterized biomechanical alterations after LVC and
CXL. Our goal for this proposal is to realize the clinical potential of MT-Brillouin microscopy: on the clinical side,
in Aim 1, we are going to address the most relevant clinical task that continues to elude clinicians, i.e. predict
keratoconus progression risk; in Aim 2, we are going to improve the predictive power of Finite Element Modeling
(FEM) to a point where it becomes a clinically useful tool by combining it with Brillouin mechanical measurement
of the cornea; on the technology side, in Aim 3, we will develop and validate rapid/automatic MT-Brillouin
microscopy to enable a mechanical imaging session within 2 minutes and thus facilitate integration in the existing
clinical workflow. This research is significant because accurate and nonperturbative elasticity-based metrics will
drive a paradigm shift in how keratoconus is identified and managed as well as in how LVC and CXL treatments
are ultimately individualized using patient-specific localized corneal biomechanical information to improve
procedure safety and efficacy.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10802911
- **Project number:** 2R01EY028666-06
- **Recipient organization:** UNIV OF MARYLAND, COLLEGE PARK
- **Principal Investigator:** James Bradley Randleman
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $678,729
- **Award type:** 2
- **Project period:** 2018-02-01 → 2028-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10802911

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10802911, Cornea biomechanical analysis with Brillouin microscopy (2R01EY028666-06). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-27 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10802911. Licensed CC0.

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