Brillouin cornea scanning to find glaucoma-related stiffness changes
Development of Robust Corneal Biomechanical Biomarkers for Glaucoma Using Brillouin Microscopy
This work uses a gentle, light-based cornea scan (Brillouin microscopy) to look for stiffness changes that might help detect or better understand glaucoma in adults.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Maryland Baltimore NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Baltimore, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11118989 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would have a quick, non-contact light scan of your cornea that measures tissue stiffness using Brillouin microscopy. The team will compare these stiffness measurements between people with primary open-angle glaucoma and age-matched people without glaucoma. This is a clinic-based, cross-sectional comparison using a device that does not press on the eye and is independent of eye pressure. The goal is to develop reliable corneal biomechanical markers that could help explain why some people get glaucoma at normal eye pressures.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults diagnosed with primary open-angle glaucoma and age-matched adults without glaucoma would be ideal candidates for participation.
Not a fit: People with recent corneal surgery, severe corneal scarring, or other conditions that alter corneal structure may not get useful results from the corneal stiffness measurements.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could lead to a new noninvasive test that helps detect glaucoma earlier and identify people at risk even when eye pressure is normal.
How similar studies have performed: Prior pressure-based corneal biomechanics devices have given mixed results, and Brillouin microscopy is a newer, promising technique with only limited clinical validation so far.
Where this research is happening
Baltimore, United States
- University of Maryland Baltimore — Baltimore, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Saeedi, Osamah Jawaid — University of Maryland Baltimore
- Study coordinator: Saeedi, Osamah Jawaid
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.