Abstract
Purpose :
Optical transmission tomography (OTT), the novel cell-resolution anterior eye imaging technology, will be presented for the first time at ARVO 2024. In the current medical-focused abstract we explore the anticipated clinical applications of this new technology
Methods :
OTT was originally invented for ex vivo imaging in biology (https://doi.org/10.1364/BOE.453586, https://doi.org/10.1364/BOE.494585). Unlike the majority of imaging methods working in ‘reflection’, OTT provides unique ’transmission’ contrast that can uncover new understanding about the disease-related structural changes in the ocular layers. In this work we adapted OTT to in vivo imaging of anterior human eye.
Early conceptual imaging study involved 2 young healthy subjects (25-40 y/o ) and 2 elderly subjects (>70 y/o) with corneal changes.
Results :
Examination was non-contact, comfortable for viewing (with dim red circular illumination) and fast (1-5 minutes).
OTT demonstrates cell-resolution structures in all the main layers of the anterior eye (Fig. 1): corneal epithelium (superficial, wing, basal cells), sub-basal nerve plexus, stroma (nerves, keratocyte cells), endothelium cell mosaics, crystalline lens (epithelium, sutures, fibers). Clearly, OTT brings the benefit of larger field-of-view (FOV), superior to the high-resolution state-of-the-art confocal and specular microscopies. In the elderly subjects (Fig. 2) OTT detected the stromal striae folds (symptom of keratoconus disease), tortiousity of sub-basal nerves (connected with diabetic neuropathy) and Guttata of Fuch’s endothelial dystrophy.
Conclusions :
Optical transmission tomography is an innovative technology that allows anterior eye imaging at micron resolution, in an non invasive way and with a large field of view. The method could be helpful in better understanding of physiopathology of anterior segment conditions (such as ocular inflammation), thus improving diagnosis and follow-up of corneal and lens related diseases.
This abstract was presented at the 2024 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Seattle, WA, May 5-9, 2024.