Clinical applications of a real-time scanning-slit confocal microscopedesigned for real-time observations of the in-vivo human cornea,

摘要

Abstract: We describe a new, real-time, flying slit confocal microscope, that has unique features and imaging characteristics for in vivo human ocular imaging. In vivo real-time confocal microscopy is currently used to investigate the tear film, renewal of the ocular surface, the role of epithelial innervation in epithelial cell proliferation, wound healing, kinetics of drug penetration, the effects of laser refractive surgery on the keratocyte activation and distribution in the stroma, and the nature of endothelial defects. The following clinical examples will be presented and discussed: confocal microscopy of normal human basal and wing cells in the epithelium, confocal microscopy of lamellar and penetrating corneal grafts, confocal microscopy of corneal ulcer, confocal microscopy of scar formation after herpes keratitis, and confocal microscopy of corneal innervation. The use of scanning slit confocal microscopes has unique advantages over other instrumental systems based on pinhole-containing Nipkow disks (tandem-scanning confocal microscopes) for clinical in vivo confocal microscopy.!12