A Homeomorphic Model of the Effect of Impact Trauma on the Human Eye

A homeomorphic model of the human eye has been developed to simulate the effect of impact forces on the internal components of the eye. This is the first time a Mass-Spring-Damper (MSD) model has been used to investigate forces and displacements throughout the outer tunic, the vitreous body, and the retina. Whereas most of the existing Finite Element Models (FEM) are extremely complicated in their structure and composition, and takes up to 6-10 hours for a single simulation run, our MSD model, with its inherent computational advantages, completes a single round of simulation within tens of seconds. The model also provides detailed information about the node positions, velocities and force profiles, with a special emphasis on the retina. Moreover, a prediction paradigm was developed to indicate the estimated extent of retinal damage based on the angle and magnitude of the applied forces. Further, a user-friendly GUI was developed to allow additional new investigations into ocular trauma. The results of the model simulations under various force impact conditions were shown to be accurate and consistent with known experimental findings. Thus, our homeomorphic MSD model can be a useful tool for the physician to assess retinal damage non-invasively prior to clinical intervention.