Furlani E.P., Nunez A., Vizzeri G.
University at Buffalo (SUNY), US
Keywords: biomechanics of the eye, fluid structure interactions, intraocular pressure, optic nerve stress, strain of eye tissue, stress
The human eye is a highly complex organ that consists of multiple different tissues with different properties and functionality, as well as pressurized fluid compartments with limited flow. Owing to this complexity, there are many aspects of the biomechanical behavior of the eye that are not fully understood, and yet critical to proper eye function. Among these, is the relationship between intraocular pressure (IOP) and the structural sensitive components such as the optic nerve. This is important as elevated IOP is a major risk factor for glaucoma, the second leading cause of blindness worldwide. In this presentation we will demonstrate the use of computational fluid dynamic (CFD) analysis with fully coupled fluid-structure interaction (FSI) to study pressure induced stress and strain (tissue deformation) in the eye. We will apply the analysis to an idealized CAD model of the eye that includes its basic constituents. We used the model to compute the level of stress and strain throughout the eye. We will also discuss the application of the model and the challenges and opportunities of using CFD-FSI to advance understanding of biomechanics of the human eye.
Journal: TechConnect Briefs
Volume: 2, Nanotechnology 2012: Electronics, Devices, Fabrication, MEMS, Fluidics and Computational (Volume 2)
Published: June 18, 2012
Pages: 337 - 340
Industry sectors: Advanced Materials & Manufacturing | Sensors, MEMS, Electronics
Topic: Micro & Bio Fluidics, Lab-on-Chip
ISBN: 978-1-4665-6275-2