Grant: Collaborative Health Research Projects

Keratoconus (KC) is a degenerative eye disease that causes structural changes in the cornea resulting in opaqueness,thinning and shape alterations. The changes cause significant vision distortions, such as multiple images, streaking andsensitivity to light. KC affects approximately 0.1% of the general population, with vision deterioration significantly reducingthe patient's ability to drive a car or read a normal print. Up to 25% of all KC cases progress to the point when thinning of thecornea is excessive, and corneal transplant surgery is necessary. Currently, corneal surgeons are aided only by opticalmicroscopes that allow for a magnified view of the surgical field, but fail to provide precise evaluation of the depth andsmoothness of the surgical cut, the thickness of the remaining tissue (lamellar keratoplasty), and the shape, thickness andcentration of the donor cornea. Furthermore, the process of suturing causes extreme shape changes in the donor cornea,which can lead to high degree of astigmatism that may require post-surgical wear of specially designed corrective contactlenses.We have developed a high resolution optical imaging system that can generate in real-time, cross-sectional and 3D imagesof the human cornea. Here we propose to integrate the imaging system with a surgical microscope, which will allow for 3D,cellular resolution view of the donor cornea during corneal replacement surgery. The novel intra-operative imaging systemwill provide real-time feedback to corneal surgeons about: the depth and smoothness of the surgical cut, the opticaltransparency and shape of the donor cornea, and the corneal shape changes during suturing. This feedback will lead toimproved surgical procedures with reduced post-surgery complications. When used outside of the surgical room, the systemcan improve the screening and diagnosis of KC patients.