The in vivo 3D optic nerve head modeling based on human multimodality images

Abstract

Introduction: The Human Optic Nerve Head (ONH) is vulnerable to damage in glaucomatous high intraocular pressure (IOP). In order to analyze the human ONH head stress and deformation in high IOP, an in vivo three dimensional (3D) ONH model was reconstructed by optical coherence tomography (OCT) images and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) images. Materials and Methods: A human eye was scanned by MRI and OCT in serial imaging protocol. The sclera and ONH were segmented from the images, and 3D models were reconstructed by multimodality image registration. Through the Morphological segmentation, part of lamina cribrosa (LC) was acquired and reconstructed in combination with the ONH and sclera. Results: The models of ONH and sclera were got, the part of LC was included in the model. In the analysis of FEM, the ONH was compressed and the cup/disk ratio was changed obviously in high glaucomatous IOP. Discussion: This study described a method to build a 3D in vivo ONH model by image processing. It can be used in biomechanical analysis, and provide the stress state of ONH for the research about the fundus damage of glaucoma. © 2013 Springer-Verlag.