Noncontact imaging to guide corneal collagen crosslinking for keratoconus
Noncontact in vivo guidance of corneal collagen crosslinking therapy with optical coherence tomography and acoustic micro-tapping elastography
This project uses noncontact OCT combined with acoustic elastography to map corneal shape and stiffness to help guide collagen crosslinking in people with keratoconus.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Washington NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Seattle, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11285490 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would get painless, noncontact imaging of your cornea before and after treatment using Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) together with an acoustic micro-tapping elastography technique. The team will make maps of corneal thickness, curvature, and directional stiffness so doctors can see how the cornea’s mechanical properties change over time and after crosslinking. The approach is designed for longitudinal follow-up so your eye can be monitored without invasive tests. These measurements aim to help doctors personalize where and how to deliver collagen crosslinking and to track whether the treatment has stiffened the cornea as intended.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are people with keratoconus or corneal ectasia who are being considered for or already undergoing corneal collagen crosslinking and can attend clinic imaging visits.
Not a fit: People without corneal ectasia, those with dense corneal scarring that prevents clear imaging, or patients not undergoing crosslinking are unlikely to benefit directly from this work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could help doctors personalize collagen crosslinking and detect disease progression earlier to better preserve vision.
How similar studies have performed: OCT is already used to image corneal shape and some elastography approaches have shown feasibility, but combining noncontact OCT with acoustic micro-tapping elastography to guide crosslinking is a relatively new and emerging method.
Where this research is happening
Seattle, United States
- University of Washington — Seattle, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Pelivanov, Ivan — University of Washington
- Study coordinator: Pelivanov, Ivan
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.