Other Anterior Segment Applications of in Vivo Confocal Microscopy and Future Developments Publisher



Abdi P¹ ; Atighehchian M¹ ; Hau S^{2, 3}
Source: In Vivo Confocal Microscopy in Eye Disease Published:2022

Abstract

In vivo confocal microscopy (IVCM) is now an established technology in the field of ophthalmology and in recent years, improvement in optical design and the use of laser technology have improved both the resolution and the image quality of assessing ocular tissues. In addition to the main applications of IVCM that have been described thus far, further clinical applications of IVCM include subbasal nerve plexus mosaicking, corneal thickness measurement, evaluating corneal transparency, corneal endothelial cell density estimation, and in diagnosing rare conditions such as iridocorneal endothelial syndrome. Non-contact IVCM has been described for the evaluation of the human tear film, further applications include the visualization of other anterior segment structures such as the iris and the crystalline lens. Other technological enhancements to IVCM that can improve diagnostic precision include the development of confocal fluorescence microscopy and in multimodal imaging platforms such as optical coherence tomography (OCT) guided IVCM. Aside from IVCM, there are emerging technologies that have the potential of augmenting or superseding IVCM, such as multiphoton microscopy, in imaging ocular tissues. In this chapter, further usages of IVCM for evaluating anterior segment anatomy and pathology are reviewed. In addition, new advances and further developments in IVCM related technologies and other forms of ophthalmic imaging are discussed. © Springer-Verlag London Ltd., part of Springer Nature 2022.