Brillouin imaging to map cornea stiffness
Cornea biomechanical analysis with Brillouin microscopy
This project uses a gentle light-based scanner to map how stiff or soft different parts of your cornea are so doctors can spot or predict worsening keratoconus and better plan surgery.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Univ of Maryland, College Park NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (College Park, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11127424 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would get a quick, non-contact scan of your cornea using a specialized Brillouin microscope that measures local mechanical properties rather than just shape or thickness. The team has already scanned over 200 eyes and found these biomechanical maps can reveal early keratoconus that ordinary imaging misses. Next they will use those maps to predict which eyes are likely to get worse and combine the measurements with computer models to forecast how an individual cornea will respond to laser surgery or cross-linking. They will also refine the scanner technology to make it faster and more reliable for use in eye clinics.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are people with suspected or early keratoconus, those considering laser vision correction or corneal cross-linking, or patients interested in corneal biomechanics testing.
Not a fit: People with completely healthy corneas or with dense scarring/opacities that block imaging are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could let doctors detect keratoconus earlier, better screen surgical candidates, and personalize treatments to help preserve vision.
How similar studies have performed: Early clinical work by this team and others using Brillouin microscopy has shown promising ability to detect biomechanical changes in the cornea, though larger prospective validation is still needed.
Where this research is happening
College Park, United States
- Univ of Maryland, College Park — College Park, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Scarcelli, Giuliano — Univ of Maryland, College Park
- Study coordinator: Scarcelli, Giuliano
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.