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Effect of chromatic and spherical aberrations in binocular visual acuity

Session Details

Session Title: IOL Technology

Session Date/Time: Sunday 06/10/2013 | 16:30-18:30

Paper Time: 16:42

Venue: Auditorium (First Floor)

First Author: : C.Canovas THE NETHERLANDS

Co Author(s): :    C. Schwarz   S. Manzanera   H. Weeber   J. Marķn   P. Piers   P. Artal

Abstract Details

Purpose:

It has been shown in the past that monocular visual acuity (VA) improves by correcting spherical aberration (SA) and longitudinal chromatic aberration (LCA). However, the effect of their combined correction on binocular vision has not been investigated yet. Here, we measured both monocular and binocular VA when correcting SA and LCA separately or in combination. Our aim was to set a limit for the visual benefit that can be attained with intraocular lenses (IOLs) correcting these two aberrations.

Setting:

1) AMO Groningen, The Netherlands, 2) Laboratorio de Optica, Universidad de Murcia, Murcia, Spain, 3) Oftalmología, Hospital “Virgen de la Arrixaca”, Murcia, Spain

Methods:

We used a research prototype binocular adaptive optics visual analyzer to measure both binocular and monocular VA at an intermediate contrast of letters (30%). The instrument allows for modifying the eye’s optical aberrations in the two eyes simultaneously. It incorporates two liquid-crystal spatial light modulators for both wavefront shaping and to create the artificial pupil. A micro-display presents letters through the controlled eye’s optics to measure monocular and binocular VA for 4 different cases: 1) natural conditions (LCA and SA present), 2) LCA removed, 3) SA corrected, 4) LCA removed and SA corrected. In the cases where SA is present, the average SA value found in pseudophakic patients was induced (0.149 μm for a 4.8 mm pupil). LCA was removed by using monochromatic (532 nm) instead of polychromatic light.

Results:

Average monocular VA increased gradually from condition 1) 0.68 ± 0.05; 2) 0.75 ± 0.05; 3) 0.82 ± 0.06 and 4) 1.2 ± 0.2. Average binocular VA increased from 0.80 ± 0.04 for the case when LCA and SA were present to 1.2 ± 0.1 for the case when LCA and SA were corrected. The average binocular summation ratio ranged between 1.0 ± 0.2 and 1.4 ± 0.2, being the smallest in the all-corrected case.

Conclusions:

We studied how binocular VA is affected by correcting longitudinal chromatic aberration and spherical aberration in combination. The best performance was attained binocularly when both aberrations were removed. This result indicates that bilateral implantation of IOLs correcting both SA and LCA could further improve binocular spatial vision.

Financial Interest:

... is employed by a for-monetary company with an interest in the subject of the presentation, ... research is funded, fully or partially, by a company producing, developing or supplying the product or procedure presented, ... receives consulting fees, retainer, or contract payments from a company producing, developing or supplying the product or procedure presented