Optical simulations of the impact of vault increase in scleral contact lenses in healthy eyes.

PURPOSE: To investigate by using computational simulations the optical impact of the change in the vault of two geometries of scleral contact lenses (SCLs). METHODS: Ray-tracing simulations were performed using specialized software in three eye models with different levels of primary SA (6 mm pupil). Two different geometries of SCL were used in such simulations characterized by the conic constants of the anterior surface of the lens (K1, -0.1 and -0.3). Likewise, the fitting of the SCL was simulated for different vaults (50-250 µm). The impact on the quality of the images through the eye models was assessed by analyzing the modulation transfer function (MTF) at different spatial frequencies (10 Lp/mm, 30 Lp/mm, and 50 Lp/mm). This impact was not only simulated for a distant object, but also for intermediate and near objects (vergence demands from 0.00 to 3.00 D). All these optical simulations were performed assuming a centered SCL, but also assuming a downward vertical decentration of 0.5 mm. RESULTS: The thinnest vault (50 µm) provided the best ocular optical quality in all three eye models for low vergence demands. For medium and high vergence demands, Lens 1 (K1 = -0.3, K2 = -0.4) resulted in a considerable improvement in optical quality in Eye 2 (C40 = -0.078 µm), while for eyes 1 (C40 = 0.408 µm) and 3 (C40 = -0.195 µm), this improvement only tended to happen for medium vergence demands. Overall, all the aberrations increased after lens fitting. Lens decentration did not cause significant variations in the results obtained with the well-centered lenses. CONCLUSIONS: Changes in the vault of a SCL have an impact on the optical quality achieved for different vergence demands independently on the level of SA of the eye in which it is fitted. The clinical relevance of such impact should be investigated further.

Why Non-contact Tonometry Tests Cannot Evaluate the Effects of Corneal Collagen Cross-linking.

PURPOSE: To assess the feasibility of characterizing and following up the mechanical behavior of the corneal tissue after corneal cross-linking (CXL) by using a combined mechanical (in vivo indentation and in vitro uniaxial tensile tests) and morphological (immunohisto-chemistry) experimental protocol. METHODS: CXL (3 mW/cm2; 370 nm) for 20 minutes (total dose 3.6 J/cm2) was performed on 12 New Zealand rabbits. The mechanical behavior of the cornea was characterized in small and large strain regimens using an in vivo indentation test with a laboratory device and an in vitro uniaxial tensile test, respectively. These tests and corneal immunohistochemistry were performed before (PreCXL) and on the 7th (PostCXL-7d) and 56th days (PostCXL-56d) after CXL. The intraocular pressure and corneal thickness were measured before each test. RESULTS: For the indentation tests, significant differences were found between PreCXL and PostCXL-7d and between PostCXL-7d and PostCXL-56d, but not between PreCXL and PostCXL-56d. On average, for the small strain regimen, PostCXL-7d corneas showed the most compliant behavior, with progressive recovery of the corneal stiffness over time. For the large strain regimen, significant differences in the maximum tangent modulus between PreCXL and PostCXL-7d and between PreCXL and PostCXL-56d were observed for the uniaxial tensile tests, with no significant differences between PostCXL-7d and PostCXL-56d. Immunohistochemistry showed a lack of cells in the anterior stroma at PostCXL-7d, but at PostCXL-56d the cell density and morphology were comparable to PreCXL. CONCLUSIONS: Indentation tests cannot characterize the changes in the corneal collagen scaffold caused by the CXL, but the uniaxial test can. However, indentation tests can assess the recovery of keratocyte density after CXL. [J Refract Surg. 2017;33(3):184-192.].

Coupled biomechanical response of the cornea assessed by non-contact tonometry. A simulation study.

The mechanical response of the cornea subjected to a non-contact air-jet tonometry diagnostic test represents an interplay between its geometry, the corneal material behavior and the loading. The objective is to study this interplay to better understand and interpret the results obtained with a non-contact tonometry test. A patient-specific finite element model of a healthy eye, accounting for the load free configuration, was used. The corneal tissue was modeled as an anisotropic hyperelastic material with two preferential directions. Three different sets of parameters within the human experimental range obtained from inflation tests were considered. The influence of the IOP was studied by considering four pressure levels (10-28 mmHg) whereas the influence of corneal thickness was studied by inducing a uniform variation (300-600 microns). A Computer Fluid Dynamics (CFD) air-jet simulation determined pressure loading exerted on the anterior corneal surface. The maximum apex displacement showed a linear variation with IOP for all materials examined. On the contrary, the maximum apex displacement followed a cubic relation with corneal thickness. In addition, a significant sensitivity of the apical displacement to the corneal stiffness was also obtained. Explanation to this behavior was found in the fact that the cornea experiences bending when subjected to an air-puff loading, causing the anterior surface to work in compression whereas the posterior surface works in tension. Hence, collagen fibers located at the anterior surface do not contribute to load bearing. Non-contact tonometry devices give useful information that could be misleading since the corneal deformation is the result of the interaction between the mechanical properties, IOP, and geometry. Therefore, a non-contact tonometry test is not sufficient to evaluate their individual contribution and a complete in-vivo characterization would require more than one test to independently determine the membrane and bending corneal behavior.