Quantum-Classical Consistency of Entropy Dissipation and Convection in the High Entropy-Production Zone (HEZ) of the Corneal Stroma

The cornea maintains its transparency through the exquisite control of stromal hydration and structural order; a process traditionally explained from the perspective of classical thermodynamics. Previously, we proposed the existence of a High Entropy-Production Zone (HEZ) in the anterior corneal stroma, a region where solute and temperature gradients drive Marangoni convection, potentially leading to a convective flow within the cornea known as Inoue water migration. Here, we extend this concept into the quantum realm. Using a conceptual hybrid framework that integrates simplified classical transport modeling with the theory of open quantum systems, we reformulate stromal entropy production in terms of von Neumann entropy and quantum entropy generation. At the classical level, stromal entropy production arises from irreversible non-equilibrium transport processes; in the present framework, this classical entropy production provides the physical basis for its quantum reformulation. The HEZ is modeled as a spatially localized, dissipative quantum subsystem wherein water-collagen interactions and proton transport exhibit strong decoherence. Simulations incorporating Lindblad dynamics demonstrate that essential features previously identified at the classical level—a solute-dominant Marangoni driving force, thermal stabilization, and an optimal flow structure at a depth of 50–100μm—are conserved in the quantum formalism. This cross-scale consistency strengthens the assertion that HEZ is not merely a product of continuum modeling but a fundamental dissipative structure embedded within the corneal stroma. Our investigation suggests that entropy management via the HEZ is necessary to reconcile inevitable entropy production with the maintenance of optical transparency, thereby offering a new bridge between non-equilibrium thermodynamics, quantum biology, and clinical ophthalmology.