Quantitative assessment of the conjunctival microcirculation using a smartphone and slit-lamp biomicroscope

The conjunctival microcirculation is a readily-accessible vascular bed for quantitative haemodynamic assessment and has been studied previously using a digital charge-coupled device (CCD). Smartphone video imaging of the conjunctiva, and haemodynamic parameter quantification, represents a novel appr...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Microvascular research 2019-11, Vol.126, p.103907-103907, Article 103907
Main Authors: Brennan, Paul F., McNeil, Andrew J., Jing, Min, Awuah, Agnes, Finlay, Dewar D., Blighe, Kevin, McLaughlin, James A.D., Wang, Ruixuan, Moore, Jonathan, Nesbit, M. Andrew, Trucco, Emanuele, Spence, Mark S., Moore, Tara C.B.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Blood Flow Velocity
Cardiovascular Diseases - diagnosis
Cardiovascular Diseases - physiopathology
Case-Control Studies
Conjunctiva - blood supply
Conjunctival circulation
Diagnostic Techniques, Ophthalmological - instrumentation
Endothelial dysfunction
Feasibility Studies
Female
Haemodynamic assessment
Hemodynamics
Hemorheology
Humans
Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted
Male
Microcirculation
Middle Aged
Mobile Applications
Models, Cardiovascular
Predictive Value of Tests
Regional Blood Flow
Slit Lamp
Smartphone
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Summary:The conjunctival microcirculation is a readily-accessible vascular bed for quantitative haemodynamic assessment and has been studied previously using a digital charge-coupled device (CCD). Smartphone video imaging of the conjunctiva, and haemodynamic parameter quantification, represents a novel approach. We report the feasibility of smartphone video acquisition and subsequent haemodynamic measure quantification via semi-automated means. Using an Apple iPhone 6 s and a Topcon SL-D4 slit-lamp biomicroscope, we obtained videos of the conjunctival microcirculation in 4 fields of view per patient, for 17 low cardiovascular risk patients. After image registration and processing, we quantified the diameter, mean axial velocity, mean blood volume flow, and wall shear rate for each vessel studied. Vessels were grouped into quartiles based on their diameter i.e. group 1 (22 μm). From the 17 healthy controls (mean QRISK3 6.6%), we obtained quantifiable haemodynamics from 626 vessel segments. The mean diameter of microvessels, across all sites, was 21.1μm (range 5.8–58 μm). Mean axial velocity was 0.50mm/s (range 0.11–1mm/s) and there was a modestly positive correlation (r 0.322) seen with increasing diameter, best appreciated when comparing group 4 to the remaining groups (p 
ISSN:0026-2862
1095-9319
DOI:10.1016/j.mvr.2019.103907