# Advanced Imaging and Simulation Tools for Personalized Corneal Disease Assessment and Surgery

> **NIH NIH R01** · CLEVELAND CLINIC LERNER COM-CWRU · 2024 · $608,199

## Abstract

Simulations based on patient-specific inputs have the potential to drive major advances in personalized
medicine. However, important gaps persist that must be addressed before simulation-based engineering can
be fully leveraged in the treatment of corneal and refractive disorders. These include development of clinical
tools for biomechanical characterization, integration of measurement and simulation systems, and model
validation and verification. In this Bioengineering Research Grant, we will address each of these challenges by
the following specific aims: Aim 1. Develop optical coherence elastography (OCE) for 3D characterization
of heterogenous corneal biomechanical properties. In this developmental aim, we will develop and
optimize a new system capable of 1) volumetric regional sampling; 2) true 3D displacement tracking and 3)
simultaneous IOP and viscoelastic property measurement. The system will be used to establish more sensitive
biomechanical biomarkers for keratoconus (KC) and to inform inverse FE models for 3D property estimation.
Aim 2. Integrate 3D OCE and inverse FE modeling to characterize and compare 3D corneal
biomechanical properties in normal, KC, and surgically altered states. Tomography and 3D OCE-derived
measurements will be used to establish and validate patient-specific FE models. We will conduct human
studies to test the hypothesis that OCE-derived biomarkers will better discriminate manifest KC and subclinical
KC from normal eyes than available tomography and air puff-derived biomechanical metrics. We will also
measure spatial biomechanical changes during a longitudinal study of KC progression and compare depth-
dependent biomechanical changes in LASIK, small-incision lenticule extraction (SMILE), and corneal
crosslinking (CXL). The latter comparison will directly test the widely promulgated hypothesis that SMILE
causes less stromal weakening than LASIK. Aim 3. Develop and evaluate patient-specific computational
models for predicting interventional outcomes, KC progression, and post-LASIK ectasia. We will test
the hypothesis that models populated with subject-specific geometry and material property data are more
accurate predictors of surgical outcomes metrics, KC progression rate, and post-LASIK ectasia risk than
existing methods. Successful completion of the aims is expected to lead to the development and immediate
translation of a personalized precision-medicine framework for leveraging such data for more effective
diagnosis and personalized treatment planning in key clinical conditions.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10877082
- **Project number:** 5R01EY032633-03
- **Recipient organization:** CLEVELAND CLINIC LERNER COM-CWRU
- **Principal Investigator:** William Joseph Dupps
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $608,199
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2022-07-01 → 2026-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10877082

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10877082, Advanced Imaging and Simulation Tools for Personalized Corneal Disease Assessment and Surgery (5R01EY032633-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10877082. Licensed CC0.

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