Apparatus Design for Hemodynamic Analysis and Tissue Strain Imaging for Studying Glaucoma

Mitchell Barna*, Sam Mukdadi, Ph. D.
Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506

Presentation Category: Physical Sciences & Engineering (Poster presentation)

Student’s Major: Civil Engineering

Glaucoma is a leading cause of blindness around the world. The causes of this disease are unknown and many researchers around the world are attempting to find ways for earlier detection and prognosis. The purpose of this research project is to design and create various apparatuses to accommodate experiments at the WVU Eye Institute in the study on glaucoma. My research goal is two-fold. Initially, we worked on the design and development of a microfluidic device for hemodynamic analysis for retinal blood flow through the optic nerve. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, our focus has shifted for this semester. The second task of this research project is to design and develop and container for tissue strain analysis as it relates to glaucoma. This container must be properly aligned to ensure stability during experiments, specifically to eliminate any motion artifact when using imaging techniques such as ultrasound or OCT. For glaucoma tissue analysis, the eye is pressurized, imaged, then the results are analyzed using an algorithm to see how the tissue deforms at different pressures. Our first design has been created so that the eye is stable, centered, and does not encounter exterior forces that may otherwise deter results, and modifications will be done as necessary once we have experimental data.

Funding: Federal Work Study

Program/mechanism supporting research/creative efforts: WVU's Research Apprenticeship Program (RAP) & accompanying HONR 297-level course