80 MHz three-dimensional ultrasound imaging of corneal lesions induced by cataract surgery

The surgery of cataract (phakoemulsification) requires the use of devices that limit the corneal incision burn. The current study aims at evaluating corneal microincision and burn induced by different phacotips using 80 MHz three dimensional (3D) ultrasonography. The study was performed in vitro on 4 fresh pig eyes. Three pig-eyes underwent clear corneal phacoemulsification, using 3 various phacomicrotips. One pig-eye served as control and underwent Clear Corneal Incision (CCI). After surgery, 3D data were acquired from the entire corneal incision volume of each eye using an 80 MHz ultrasound backscatter microscope. The -6dB axial resolution of the system was 25 μm at focus. Thermal effects of the phakotips and generation of corneal burns were evaluated on both B-scan images and 3D volume-rendered images of the corneal tunnel reconstructed after manual delineation and selection of the incision regions. Ultrasound images allowed the visualization of corneal tunnel shape and thermal damage due to the different phakotips on the tissue. Comparative study showed the ability of high resolution 3D ultrasonography in detecting the efficiency of phakomicrotips in the prevention of corneal burns.