Utilization of scanning acoustic microscopy (SAM) in quantifying the biomechanical variations in tissues with Fuchs endothelial dystrophy (FECD)

Purpose : The aim of this study was to demonstrate the application of Scanning Acoustic Microscopy in the GHz-range (GHz- SAM) to infer the biomechanical alterations in Descemet’s membrane and endothelial cells of cornea tissue with Fuchs endothelial corneal dystrophy (FECD). Methods : Investigated were samples of a normal tissue and a tissue with Fuchs endothelial dystrophy (FECD, cornea Guttata). Descemet’s membranes were fixed on glass substrates and imaged utilizing a focused acoustic lens operating at a center frequency of 1 GHz. Results : A discrepancy of 53±7 m/s between the velocity of Rayleigh surface acoustic waves (VRSAW) in glass substrates with Descemet’s membrane - FECD and VRSAW in glass with normal Descemet’s membrane were realized. Slower VRSAW in Descemet’s membranes with FECD indicates lower moduli of rigidity in membranes with FECD than in normal membranes. Conclusions : Our data proofs SAM’s potential in quantifying the biomechanical variations of FECD relative to normal Descemet’s membranes based on the determination of velocity of propagation of ultrasound waves, which is related to the moduli of rigidity