Impact of intraocular lens materials on polychromatic image quality in pseudophakic eyes

Session Details

Session Title: Monofocal IOLs: New Biomaterials & Visual Performance

Session Date/Time: Tuesday 17/09/2019 | 16:30-18:00

Paper Time: 16:42

Venue: Free Paper Forum: Podium 2

First Author: : A.Bradley USA

Co Author(s): :    R. Xu   M. Jaskulski                          

Abstract Details

Purpose:

To quantify the impact on polychromatic image quality of the wavelength-dependent refractive index changes (Abbe #) of different intra-ocular lens (IOL) materials, and to test the hypothesis that, in the presence of typical levels of monochromatic aberrations, Abbe# manipulations have no significant effect on polychromatic image quality.

Setting:

Visual Optics research laboratory, Indiana University, USA

Methods:

Polychromatic point spread functions and optical transfer functions were computed (Matlab) for flat spectrum white light and RGB spectra typical of computer displays using model eyes containing monochromatic and chromatic aberrations typical of phakic and pseudophakic eyes. Chromatic aberration was manipulated to account for different Abbe# IOL materials. Monochromatic aberrations, defined by a vector of Zernike coefficients, varied from zero (aberration free model) to the mean and to 2 standard deviations above the mean expected from the cornea and common aspheric IOL designs.

Results:

Although longitudinal chromatic aberration can reach 2.5 diopters across the visible spectrum, modeling suggest human spectral sensitivity greatly attenuates the visual impact of the most defocused wavelengths resulting in polychromatic image quality similar to that created by <0.25 diopters of defocus. The impact of IOL Abbe# is small (<0.1 diopter) in otherwise diffraction-limited eye models, and its impact appears to be always lower as levels of monochromatic aberration increase. Polychromatic image quality in typically aberrated pseudophakic eyes seems to be unaffected by the modest changes in chromatic aberration introduced by IOL materials with higher and lower amounts of chromatic dispersion.

Conclusions:

Although IOL materials with different Abbe# can be used to vary levels of chromatic aberration in pseudophakic eyes, the resulting impact on polychromatic image quality in the presence of monochromatic aberrations appears to be clinically insignificant, and in most eyes absent. Clinical studies are warranted to further validate these results in patients.

Financial Disclosure:

receives consulting fees, retainer, or contract payments from a company producing, developing or supplying the product or procedure presented, travel has been funded, fully or partially, by a company producing, developing or supplying the product or procedure presented, research is funded, fully or partially, by a company producing, developing or supplying the product or procedure presented