Influence of intraocular pressure on geometrical properties of a linear model of the eyeball: Effect of optical self-adjustment

In general, visual acuity does not change with variations in intraocular pressure. Experiments in vitro as well as our clinical findings lead us to hypothesise that the eyeball could possess certain mechanical properties enabling it to automatically produce a sharp image on the retina despite variations in intraocular pressure. Previously reported simple biomechanical models of the eye did not confirm this hypothesis. Here, we propose a generalised mechanical model of the eyeball in which we include an appropriate limbus ring that mimics the ciliary body and the iris. The Finite Element Method is used to model the eyeball and to test its behaviour. A set of geometrical and material parameters has been determined for the model so that the postulated function of the eye is preserved. Numerical simulations have confirmed the hypothesis. The anatomically justified inclusion of the limbus ring in the proposed model of the eyeball makes it more realistic than those previously reported.