Pathological changes in ocular tissues can cause differences in tissue elasticity. Therefore, tissue elasticity is a valuable indicator of early ocular diseases. To measure the elasticity of ocular tissues, we proposed a whole-eye optical coherence elastography (OCE) method. To image the whole eye, an electrically tunable lens (ETL) was integrated into the system to adjust the focal plane. For inducing elastic waves in an entire eye, the acoustic radiation force (ARF) from one transducer stimulated the anterior segment from the side of the eye, and another transducer excited the retina from the front of the eye. The elastic waves in the porcine cornea and retina were visualized by Doppler phase shift analysis. Then, we measured the elastic wave propagation velocities and calculated Young's moduli of the tissues. In the ex-vivo experiments of porcine eyes, the elastic moduli of the cornea and retina were quantified, respectively. The experimental results demonstrate the feasibility and potential clinical value of the proposed method for assessing tissue elasticity in ocular structures.
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