KERALASTIC: Biomechanical mapping of the human cornea for early detection and treatment monitoring of Keratoconus

Keratoconus is a degenerative disease that affects the human cornea and impairs the vision of populations at key ages for education and labor insertion. In Peru, incidence rates of Keratoconus are high (2 in 1000 individuals) compared to developed countries. Keratoconus detection in subclinical stages is fundamental to avoid disease progression until needing a corneal transplant; however, it remains challenging since the standard of diagnostics is only based on the topography measurements of an already deformed cornea. Scientific evidence shows that the local rigidity reduction of the cornea would be the primary initiating event of Keratoconus. We propose the development of a clinical imaging-based system (KERALASTIC) capable of the non-invasive mapping of human corneal biomechanics. Unlike the current standard of diagnosis, this technology enables the detection of subclinical Keratoconus by exposing subtle softer regions of the cornea before the cone-shaped deformation manifests. KERALASTIC is based on biophotonics and ultrasound technology that leverages the propagation of mechanical waves in the cornea to provide doctors with a new dimension of ocular information: corneal elasticity maps. In this research, we will conduct pre-clinical patient studies to test the diagnostic and monitoring power of KERALASTIC for the early detection and treatment monitoring of Keratoconus.