{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,16]],"date-time":"2026-08-16T14:26:11Z","timestamp":1786890371502,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":49,"publisher":"SAGE Publications","issue":"8","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,14]],"date-time":"2026-04-14T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1776124800000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/page\/policies\/text-and-data-mining-license"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["journals.sagepub.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Journal of Ocular Pharmacology and Therapeutics"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,1]]},"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Purpose:<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>To evaluate the effect of different iontophoresis current intensities on stromal riboflavin penetration for transepithelial corneal cross-linking (CXL) and to develop a simple, accessible, and quantitative image-processing workflow for its objective assessment using digital slit-lamp biomicroscopy.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods:<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      <jats:italic toggle=\"yes\">Ex vivo<\/jats:italic>\n                      bovine corneas (\n                      <jats:italic toggle=\"yes\">n<\/jats:italic>\n                      = 3 per group) were allocated to five groups: untreated control, topical riboflavin, and iontophoresis at 1, 3, or 5 mA for 5 min. After treatment, cobalt-blue-excited slit-lamp images were obtained. Stromal fluorescence was quantified using a Python\u2013OpenCV workflow that converted images to hue\u2013saturation\u2013value space and applied segmentation-based masking to generate a fluorescence score (FS). For validation, stromal extracts were analyzed spectrophotometrically at 370 nm to determine riboflavin concentration. Finally, the association between FS and spectrophotometric riboflavin levels was examined to evaluate the utility of slit-lamp fluorescence as a noninvasive surrogate measure.\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results:<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      Mean FS increased in a current-dependent manner. Iontophoresis enhanced stromal loading, producing mean FS values of 1.04 \u00b1 0.17 (1 mA\/5 min), 1.82 \u00b1 0.13 (3 mA\/5 min), and 2.53 \u00b1 0.25 (5 mA\/5 min), with higher currents also promoting a more homogeneous stromal distribution. Based on the linear FS\u2013concentration relationship, these values corresponded to increasing stromal riboflavin concentrations. A strong linear correlation (\n                      <jats:italic toggle=\"yes\">R<\/jats:italic>\n                      <jats:sup>2<\/jats:sup>\n                      = 0.96) between FS and spectrophotometrically calculated riboflavin concentration demonstrated that slit-lamp-derived fluorescence accurately predicts stromal riboflavin content.\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusion:<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      The proposed digital slit-lamp analysis provides a simple, objective, and reproducible method for quantifying stromal riboflavin fluorescence. The strong correlation between FS and spectrophotometric measurements supports its use as a noninvasive surrogate for stromal riboflavin assessment. With further\n                      <jats:italic toggle=\"yes\">in\u00a0vivo<\/jats:italic>\n                      validation, this approach may enable real-time monitoring and optimization of transepithelial CXL protocols.\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1177\/10807683261443193","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,15]],"date-time":"2026-04-15T05:47:31Z","timestamp":1776232051000},"page":"498-506","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/sage-journals-update-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Evaluation of Stromal Riboflavin Penetration Using Slit-Lamp-Based Digital Image Processing in an\n                    <i>Ex Vivo<\/i>\n                    Iontophoresis Model"],"prefix":"10.1177","volume":"42","author":[{"given":"Alaaddin","family":"Coskun","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Medicine, Department of Biophysics, K\u0131r\u0131kkale University, K\u0131r\u0131kkale, Turkey."}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Fatih","family":"Senturk","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Medicine, Department of Biophysics, Duzce University, Duzce, Turkey."}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Berke","family":"Ayg\u00fcn","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Medicine, K\u0131r\u0131kkale University, K\u0131r\u0131kkale, Turkey."}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Cereng\u00fcl","family":"Al\u0131c\u0131","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Medicine, K\u0131r\u0131kkale University, K\u0131r\u0131kkale, Turkey."}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Duygu","family":"Kaba","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Medicine, K\u0131r\u0131kkale University, K\u0131r\u0131kkale, Turkey."}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"\u0130rem S\u0131la","family":"Eski","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Medicine, K\u0131r\u0131kkale University, K\u0131r\u0131kkale, Turkey."}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"179","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,14]]},"reference":[{"key":"e_1_3_3_2_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3390\/jcm14051702"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_3_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.2147\/OPTH.S520174"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_4_1","article-title":"Efficacy and safety of accelerated transepithelial corneal crosslinking in non-pediatric patients with progressive keratoconus: Insights from a retrospective cohort study","author":"Chiraples A-C","year":"2025","unstructured":"3.Chiraples A-C, , Munteanu M, , Stanca HT, et al. 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