Real-time confocal microscopy of corneal innervation in the in-vivo human cornea

摘要

The ability to visualize the innervation in the living human cornea is demonstrated. A new, real-time scanning slit confocal for the examination of the in vivo eye is described, and its unique imaging capabilities are demonstrated. A new flying slit confocal microscope, illuminated with a halogen lamp, which has unique imaging characteristics for in vivo human confocal microscopy has been developed. This real-time confocal microscope can image the anterior segment and image en face views of the cornea which includes wing cells, basal epithelial cells, nerves, nuclei and cell bodies of the stromal keratocytes, and endothelial cells. The high contrast images are acquired in a single video frame and do not require any image processing, frame averaging or other techniques improve the single frame images. This paper demonstrates the imaging of the nerve fibers in the anterior cornea. Both stromal nerves, and fibers in the corneal epithelium are imaged. The contrast and depth of focus of this new instrument is not seen with other in vivo real-time confocal microscopes designed for ocular use.