Optical coherent tomography measurements of the diffusion rate of water and drugs in an isolated and whole cornea

The passive diffusion of drugs through the epithelial surfaces of an eye (the most widespread method for medical treatment of various diseases) is considered. The permeability of water and drugs through rabbit cornea was measured in the isolated cornea (separate from an eye) and in the whole cornea. The permeability coefficients of water and dexamethasone were estimated by the method of optical coherence tomography (OCT). Because multiple photon scattering introduces noise and distortions to the OCT signal, measurements were performed at depths up to 500 μm where most likely single scattering of light occurs in cornea. It is shown that the permeability coefficients in the isolated and whole cornea strongly differ from each other. For example, the water permeability in the isolated and whole cornea is (7.09 ± 0.12) × 10^-5 and (1.71 ± 0.51) × 10^-5 cm s^-1, respectively.