In Vivo Monitoring of Corneal Viscoelasticity in Rabbits with Collagen Cross-linking Treatment using Ultrasound Elastography

Riboflavin/UVA corneal collagen cross-linking (CXL) was approved for effective treatment of keratoconus. A method capable of quantitatively measuring the mechanical properties of the cornea is desirable for planning and evaluating CXL treatment. This study developed a corneal viscoelasticity imaging method based on comb-push ultrasound shear elastography (CUSE) and implemented this method on an ultrasound open system with a high-frequency linear array ultrasound transducer. A validation experiment was performed on the corneas of rabbits in vivo. The results indicate that this method could provide a reliable in vivo monitoring of corneal mechanical properties variation induced by CXL treatment and it may have a promising application in clinical ophthalmology.