Mechanisms, imaging and structure of tear film breakup

Tear film breakup (BU) is an important aspect of dry eye disease, as a cause of ocular aberrations, irritation and ocular surface inflammation and disorder. Additionally, measurement of breakup time (BUT) is a common clinical test for dry eye. The current definition of BUT is subjective; here, a more objective concept of “touchdown” - the moment when the lipid layer touches down on the corneal surface - is proposed as an aid to understanding processes in early and late stages of BU development. Models of BU have generally been based on the assumption that a single mechanism is involved. In this review, it is emphasized that BU does not have a single explanation but it is the end result of multiple processes. A three-way classification of BU is proposed - “immediate,” “lid-associated,” and “evaporative.” Five different types of imaging systems are described, which have been used to help elucidate the processes involved in BU and BUT; a new method, “high resolution chromaticity images,” is presented. Three directions of tear flow - evaporation, osmotic flow out of the ocular surface, and “tangential flow” along the ocular surface - determine tear film thinning between blinks, leading to BU. Ten factors involved in BU and BUT, both before and after touchdown, are discussed. Future directions of research on BU are proposed.