Abstract
Noninvasively probing the biomechanical properties of crystalline lens has been challenging due to its unique
features such as location inside the eye and being optically and ultrasonically transparent. Here we introduce a
method of relying on the spectral analysis of the lens surface response to a mechanical stimulation for the depthdependent
assessment of lens biomechanical properties. In this method, acoustic radiation force (ARF) is used to
remotely induce the deformation on the surface of the crystalline lens, and a phase-sensitive optical coherence
tomography (PhS-OCT) system, co-focused with ARF, utilized to monitor the localized temporal response of ARFinduced
deformations on the lens surface. The dominant frequency from the amplitude spectra of the surface
response is obtained as the indicator of the depthwise elasticity distribution. Pilot experiments were performed on
tissue-mimicking layered phantoms and ex vivo porcine crystalline lens. Results indicate that the frequency response
of the sample surface is contributed by the mechanical properties of layers located at different depths and the depthdependent elastic properties can be revealed from the amplitude spectrum. Further study will be focused on
combining the experimental measurements with theoretical model and inverse numerical method for depth-resolved
elastography of the crystalline lens.
