New Method for Corneal Edge Detection and Measurement
Authors: Abass A., Lopes B.T., Eliasy A., Wu R., Jones S., Clamp J., Ambrósio Jr R., Elsheikh A.
Journal: PLoS ONE
Publication Date: Nov 2018
(a) An eye image taken by the ESP digital camera; (b) Frequency of different light intensity values where the first peak corresponds to pupil’s colour, the second peak corresponds to the iris’s colour and the last peak corresponds to the sclera’s colour.
Summary:
The human eye is a marvel of nature, responsible for our ability to perceive the world around us. One important aspect of eye structure is the limbus, the border between the transparent cornea and the opaque sclera. A better understanding of the limbus can help improve contact lens fitting and other clinical applications. In a recent scientific paper, a team of researchers developed a new method for detecting the limbus and measuring the white-to-white (visible iris) boundary in the human eye.
This study included 88 participants, both male and female, aged between 23 and 65 years old. Using a device called an Eye Surface Profiler, the researchers collected digital images and height data of the eyes. They then processed the data with custom-built algorithms to detect the limbus and measure the white-to-white distances.
The results showed significant differences between nasal-temporal (side-to-side) and superior-inferior (top-to-bottom) white-to-white distances in both right and left eyes. The limbus diameter, however, did not vary significantly in these directions. Interestingly, the researchers found that the limbus contour does not lay in one plane and tends to be higher on the nasal-inferior side of the eye.
By providing a novel method for detecting the limbus and measuring the visible iris boundary, this study can help improve contact lens design and fitting, as well as inform other clinical applications such as sizing iris prostheses for patients with aniridia, and selecting the diameter of phakic intraocular lenses.
In summary, this research presents a valuable advancement in our understanding of the human eye's limbus and its importance in clinical applications. By offering a new method for limbus detection and white-to-white measurement, the study contributes to the ongoing effort to improve eye care and treatment.