Light scattering from human corneal grafts: Bulk and surface contribution

The cornea is the only transparent tissue in the body. The transparency is the main characteristic of the corneal tissue, and depends not only on the transmission coefficient but also on the losses by scattering and absorption. The scattering properties of the cornea tissues become one of the most important parameters in the case of the corneal graft. These scattering properties are studied in this paper in the reflected half area, similar to the diagnosis configuration. We quantify the influence of the cornea thickness and of the epithelial layer on scattering level. The technique of ellipsometry on scattered field is also used to analyze the polarization properties in order to determine the origin of scattering (surface and/or bulk).