Gel-based Ocular Phantom Models in Glaucoma Diagnostics: A Bibliometric and Narrative Review.

BACKGROUND

Gel-based ocular phantom models provide a controlled platform to test the biomechanical factors and validate emerging diagnostic technologies. Despite the growing application in ophthalmic research, no comprehensive bibliometric analysis has been conducted to map their evolution and translational relevance in glaucoma diagnostics.

PURPOSE: The study aimed to bridge this gap by identifying global research trends and highlighting the emerging role of gel-based ocular phantoms in intraocular pressure (IOP) assessment and glaucoma-related diagnostic applications.

MATERIALS AND

METHODS

A bibliometric analysis of open-access literature (2020-2025) was conducted using the Scopus database. Keyword co-occurrence and temporal overlay analysis were performed using VOSviewer to assess research trends, geographical contributions, and thematic evolution from general tissue-mimicking models to glaucoma-specific applications.

RESULTS

A total of 1,116 publications related to gel or tissue-mimicking phantoms were identified. The results showed a progressive narrowing of research focus from generic tissue-mimicking phantoms toward ocular biomechanical models for IOP assessment, with 62 publications specifically related to glaucoma, IOP, biomechanical modeling, sensor validation, or fluid dynamics. The United States and China emerged as leading contributors. The overlay visualization demonstrated a recent shift toward ocular biomechanics in glaucoma diagnostic simulation, reflecting growing clinical translation.

CONCLUSION

Ocular gel phantoms are emerging as an integral experimental platform for addressing the biomechanical variability and enhancing safer preclinical validation of glaucoma diagnostic instruments.

CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: The findings of this study highlight the importance of ocular biomechanics in glaucoma diagnostics and suggest the importance of gel phantom integration for preclinical validation of ocular biomechanics-related instruments to enhance accuracy.