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Endoscopic corneal video features groundbreaking imaging
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — A team of researchers is seeking to advance ophthalmic imaging through the use of three- and four-dimensional endoscopic confocal renderings of the cornea after corneal inlay implantation.
 George O. Waring IV |
George O. Waring IV, MD, presented his results in a poster presentation at the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology meeting.
Dr. Waring and colleagues utilized confocal microscopy imaging with the Confoscan 4 (Nidek Technologies) on both eyes of one patient who had been implanted in one eye with the AcuFocus corneal inlay. They then employed Analyze software 7.0 (Biomedical Imaging Resource) to create an endoscopic confocal corneal "fly through" video of both the implanted and control eyes.
The video of the implanted eye was analyzed by two independent observers for evidence of keratocyte hypercellularity, inflammatory cells or any alterations to the epithelium. When compared with the video of the control eye, it revealed a well-tolerated implant with no signs of negative effects.
A major advantage of the technique is the ability to observe the spatial relationship of the implant to the surrounding cellular layers, according to the researchers.
"Qualitatively, it allows us to, at a single glance, correlate all the different cellular layers ... so that you can see an AcuFocus inlay or any inlay that remains well-tolerated after an implantation and how it affects the other cellular layers. From that standpoint, it's incredibly encouraging," Dr. Waring told Ocular Surgery News.
The technique will not only help expand research possibilities but could also impact other imaging devices that could incorporate the technology, he said.
"My vision for this is, instead of a patient sitting down in a clinic and having a slit lamp photo of their eye and then having an animated video play next to it, you actually can take them on a 'fly through' of their own eyeball," Dr. Waring said. "As far as I'm concerned, this is the future of ophthalmic imaging."