Browsing by Author "Hirvonen, Ilkka"

Dry eye disease is one of the most common eye diseases and it deteriorates the life quality of a large number of patients. The etiopathological causes behind the dry eye disease are divided in two major classes, aqueous-deficient dry eye (ADDE) and evaporative dry eye (EDE). Naturally, the reasons behind dry eye symptoms of a certain patient may be a combination of both classes. Knowing the underlying cause behind the symptoms is crucial in finding the correct treatment. Properties of the human tear film have been studied to a great extent. One of the research methods that has been used is computer simulations, especially during the last decades as increases in computing power have made even rather sophisticated models accessible. This literature review first describes the dry eye syndrome as a medical condition and then discusses the pros and cons of computer simulations. Then, key findings from the literature are presented in three categories: macro-scale tear fluid simulations, models of the rupturing process of the thin precorneal tear film, and molecular simulations of the tear film lipid layer. A brief example of a simulation is also presented.