Posters

Eye laser therapy to change the elastic modulus evaluated in a 3D computerized model

Poster Details

First Author: A.Hipsley USA

Co Author(s):    D. Goldberg   E. Hsiao                 

Abstract Details

Purpose:

All ocular tissues are impacted by age. Our purpose is to present a model showing the pathophysiology of increased ocular rigidity associated with age, and the effects of changing the elastic modulus of the sclera on visual accommodation. The proposed mechanism of action of Laser Anterior ciliary excision (LaserACE) is revealed.

Setting:

Taiwan University collaboration with Industry 3D computer lab, Taiwan.

Methods:

An aged-matched crosslinking model was established to analyze the effects of the LaserACE eye laser therapy on the coefficient of rigidity. Aged eyes treated with the LaserACE procedure were compared to young eye cohorts. These data were then imported into a 3D computerized simulation to evaluate the biomechanical impact on anatomical components of accommodation for two age points: Young (25 years old) and Old (50 years old). The benefit of intraocular accommodative resultant force efficiency as it relates to decreased ocular rigidity was evaluated as well as effects on accommodative biomechanical relationships.

Results:

The selected comparison groups (Young and Old) demonstrated significant differences in biomechanical relationships during accommodation and disaccommodation during the computerized simulation. The data was displayed within 200um of accuracy. The rigidity coefficient of LaserACE-treated OLD eyes achieved a resultant rigidity that was almost identical to the untreated young eye. The simulation comparison of young vs old after the differential of the modulus was imported produced a change in the anatomical relationships which compared more to the youthful eye. The amount of accommodation theoretically restored is postulated based upon a computer-based model.

Conclusions:

Aging of the eye can be replicated using collagen crosslinking. This aging process as simulated by the 3D computerized model affects not only the lens, but also the extralenticular apparatus including the sclera which coats the outer 5/6 of the eye. Utilizing model-based reasoning, it is shown that there is an important correlation between ocular rigidity and accommodative biomechanical relationships. As demonstrated in the model, changes in ocular rigidity can impact the accommodative mechanism biomechanics to produce more youthful biomechanical function. Understanding ocular rigidity as a metric may illuminate pathophysiology of accommodation and potential solutions for rehabilitating this dysfunction.

Financial Disclosure:

One or more of the authors receives consulting fees, retainer, or contract payments from a company producing, developing or supplying the product or procedure presented, One or more of the authors travel has been funded, fully or partially, by a company producing, developing or supplying the product or procedure presented, One or more of the authors research is funded, fully or partially, by a company producing, developing or supplying the product or procedure presented