Assessing and compensating for the confounding factors in Scheimpflug-based corneal densitometry

Miazdzyk, Maria ; Consejo, Alejandra (Universidad de Zaragoza) ; Iskander, D. Robert

Resumen: Scheimpflug-based corneal densitometry is a clinically verified method for assessing corneal transparency. Nevertheless, the estimates of corneal densitometry appear to be correlated with age and eye biometry parameters, such as the anterior chamber depth or the pupil size, and that ensues a convoluted conditional estimation problem, where it is difficult to interpret the results. This study aims at devising a methodology for compensating for such confounding factors by using, as a research platform, a commercially available Scheimpflug camera that allows exporting images in a dynamic fashion, allowing averaging the results from multiple acquisitions. Two approaches are considered, one based on appropriately normalizing the line densitometry signal and one based on image histogram equalization. Then, three parameters for describing corneal densitometry are derived including the mean value of backscatter and the scale and shape parameters of the Weibull distribution estimated in regions of interest encompassing parts of corneal stroma. The results show that, unlike the non-normalized measures, the proposed approaches lead to parameters that are not correlated with age nor the eye biometry.

Idioma: Inglés

DOI: 10.1364/BOE.473534

Año: 2022

Publicado en: Biomedical Optics Express 13, 12 (2022), 6258-6272
ISSN: 2156-7085

Factor impacto JCR: 3.4 (2022)

Categ. JCR: BIOCHEMICAL RESEARCH METHODS rank: 28 / 77 = 0.364 (2022) - Q2 - T2
Categ. JCR: RADIOLOGY, NUCLEAR MEDICINE & MEDICAL IMAGING rank: 43 / 135 = 0.319 (2022) - Q2 - T1
Categ. JCR: OPTICS rank: 36 / 99 = 0.364 (2022) - Q2 - T2

Factor impacto CITESCORE: 6.7 - Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology (Q2) - Physics and Astronomy (Q1)

Factor impacto SCIMAGO: 0.955 - Biotechnology (Q1) - Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics (Q1)

Tipo y forma: Artículo (Versión definitiva)

Área (Departamento): Área Física Aplicada (Dpto. Física Aplicada)