Frontiers of Vision Science

Under the direction of Kirill Larin, high resolution optical coherence tomography has undergone a remarkable evolution. Over the past 23 years, the University of Houston Cullen Endowed Chair and Professor of biomedical engineering has expanded OCT's reach from only retinal imaging to a wide variety of array organs, including the cornea and, in earlier work, fetal brain and heart.

With OCT, no biopsies are needed; no invasive measures are taken. Instead, the imaging technique uses light waves to take cross-section pictures and deliver 3D images.

And though Larin has been pushing the limits of OCT’s capabilities for more than two decades, he is just getting started.

His previous research explored the use of OCT to assess fetal brain development, but today, his focus is on bringing this technology into clinical settings to diagnose and prevent eye disease.

Insights into the Cornea

Larin is taking OCT in a new direction, creating a version of it that can easily be adapted into a clinician's office. The work, underway since 2022, is supported by a $2.9 million grant from the National Eye Institute.

“We propose a novel method for a ‘no touch’ assessment of corneal elastic properties. Such a technology, termed heart-beat optical coherence elastography (hbOCE), could revolutionize methods for routine corneal examination, bringing additional mechanical information and warrant rapid clinical adaptation,” said Larin. “We will implement high-speed volumetric phase-sensitive OCT scans of the cornea during multiple phases of the heartbeat to measure corneal deformations and, thus, biomechanics.”

Accurate measurement of corneal biomechanics with high spatial resolution would not only influence the clinical interpretation of diagnostic tests, for example, by measuring intraocular pressure or assessing effects of drug therapies, but also predict the development of posterior eye diseases like glaucoma. Currently, there is no available, reliable method for performing quantitative measurement of corneal elasticity in vivo and with high resolution. 

"Our studies will accelerate the transition of ocular elastography into clinics, influence our selection and application of corneal surgical treatments, and help us understand the structural consequences of corneal diseases and wound healing,” said Larin.

Larin calls his work “frontier technology,” as he stretches the bounds of OCT, allowing a greater view into the human body.