Study of transmittance and reflectance spectra of the cornea and the sclera in the THz frequency range.
An adequate water balance (hydration extent) is one of the basic factors of normal eye function, including its external shells: the cornea and the sclera. Adequate control of corneal and scleral hydration is very important for early diagnosis of a variety of eye diseases, stating indications for and contraindications against keratorefractive surgeries and the choice of contact lens correction solutions. THz systems of creating images in reflected beams are likely to become ideal instruments of noninvasive control of corneal and scleral hydration degrees. This paper reports on the results of a study involving transmittance and reflectance spectra for the cornea and the sclera of rabbit and human eyes, as well as those of the rabbit eye, in the frequency range of 0.13 to 0.32 THz. The dependence of the reflectance coefficient of these tissues on water mass percentage content was determined. The experiments were performed on three corneas, three rabbit scleras, two rabbit eyes, and three human scleras. The preliminary results demonstrate that the proposed technique, based on the use of a continuous THz radiation, may be utilized to create a device for noninvasive control of corneal and scleral hydration, which has clear potential of broad practical application.
Moscow Helmholtz Research Institute of Eye Diseases, 14/19 Sadovaya-Chernogryazskaya Street, Moscow 105062, Russia.
Elena N
EN
Iomdina
Moscow State Pedagogical University, Department of Physics, 29 Malaya Pirogovskaya Street, Moscow 119435, RussiacNational Research University Higher School of Economics, Moscow Institute of Electronics and Mathematics, 34 Tallinskaya Street, Moscow 123458, Russia.
Gregory N
GN
Goltsman
Moscow State Pedagogical University, Department of Physics, 29 Malaya Pirogovskaya Street, Moscow 119435, Russia.
Sergey V
SV
Seliverstov
Moscow Helmholtz Research Institute of Eye Diseases, 14/19 Sadovaya-Chernogryazskaya Street, Moscow 105062, Russia.
Alisa A
AA
Sianosyan
Moscow State Pedagogical University, Department of Physics, 29 Malaya Pirogovskaya Street, Moscow 119435, Russia.
Kseniya O
KO
Teplyakova
Moscow State Pedagogical University, Department of Physics, 29 Malaya Pirogovskaya Street, Moscow 119435, Russia.
Anastasia A
AA
Rusova
D000818:Animals; D003315:Cornea / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000502:physiology; D004867:Equipment Design; D006801:Humans; D011817:Rabbits; D012590:Sclera / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000502:physiology; D055069:Terahertz Imaging / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*