Biomedical Engineering Study of Diseases of the Eye: Previous Successes and New Opportunities
Bioengineering methods have elucidated the details of a variety of ocular diseases processes including the role of mechanics in the elevated pressure characteristic of glaucoma and in the resulting damage to the optic nerve, the role of lipid accumulation in age-related macular degeneration, and the role of oxygen transport in vascular occlusion and retinal detachment. We will review these successes and also examine the opportunities for bioengineering to advance corneal mechanics as related to keratoconus, to assist in glaucoma and keratorefractive surgery, and to address the challenging problem of targeted drug delivery to the eye.
