Quantifying changes in lens biomechanical properties due to cold cataract with optical coherence elastography

Cataract is the most prevalent cause of visual impairment worldwide. Cataracts can be formed due to trauma, radiation, drug abuse, or low temperatures. Thus, early detection of cataract can be immensely helpful for preserving visual acuity by ensuring that the appropriate therapeutic procedures are performed at earlier stages of disease onset and progression. In this work, we utilized a phase-sensitive optical coherence elastography (OCE) system to quantify changes in biomechanical properties of porcine lenses in vitro with induced cold cataracts. The results show significant increase in lens Young’s modulus due to formation of the cold cataract (from ~ 35 kPa to ~60 kPa). These results show that OCE can assess lenticular biomechanical properties and may be useful for detecting and, potentially, characterizing cataracts.