The properties of the cornea based on hyperspectral imaging: Optical biomedical engineering perspective

Biomedical engineering is a unique area that allows fusion between two distinct fields of engineering and medicine. The integration of efforts from both fields promises progress through acquisition of information from tissues, cells, and organs through non-invasive methods of assessment. Here we investigate the ability of a hyperspectral device in extracting data from tissues through the wavelength spectrum, in foreseeing its potential in clinical diagnostics by simplifying methods of examination by clinicians in detecting corneal injuries. Hyperspectral imaging using 400 to 1000nm visible wavelength was used to scan five porcine eyes (injured and non-injured). Images were saved in three dimensional images of rows, columns, and depth slices at 1200 to 1300×804×604 and were processed. All laboratory works were performed in accordance with the general risk assessment of University of Strathclyde. In our results, analysis of the images reveals significant cue between 500 to 800nm bands in differentiating between injured and non-injured parts of the eye.