Optical coherence elastography (OCE), the elastography extension of optical coherence tomography (OCT), has been proposed to quantify the biomechanical properties of ocular tissues (e.g., cornea and sclera) for early detection of different diseases, such as keratoconus and cataract. In wave-based OCE, various tissue stimulation methods have been demonstrated to induce waves in ocular tissues. Acoustic radiation force (ARF) is commonly used as a non-contact excitation source with tightly controlled stimulation parameters for various tissues, including the cornea and crystalline lens. However, ARF’s reliance on tightly focusing acoustic pressure within the tissue raises concerns about potential tissue damage. The aim of this study was to assess the safety of ARF-OCE on freshly enucleated ex vivo porcine eyes and investigate the ability of safe acoustic pressures to produce detectable displacements for OCE. In this study, the maximum value for ophthalmic acoustic pressure set by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) was set as the 100% threshold in our assessment, and it was determined using a needle hydrophone. OCT and confocal microscopy were used to assess the integrity of the porcine crystalline lens before and after ARF-based OCE experiments. The maximum ARF intensity allowed by the FDA produced detectable wave propagation on the crystalline lens without damaging the lens.
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