Measuring visual acuity and spherical refraction with smartphone screens emitting blue light

Introduction A periodical self-monitoring of spherical refraction using smartphones may potentially allow a quicker intervention by eye care professionals to reduce myopia progression. Unfortunately, at low levels of myopia, the far point (FP) can be located far away from the eye which can make interactions with the device difficult. To partially remedy this issue, a novel method is proposed and tested wherein the longitudinal chromatic aberration (LCA) of blue light is leveraged to optically bring the FP closer to the eye. Methods Firstly, LCA was obtained by measuring spherical refraction subjectively using blue pixels in stimuli shown on organic light-emitting diode (OLED) screens and also grey stimuli with matching luminance. Secondly, the visual acuity (VA) measured with a smartphone located at 1.0 m and 1.5 m and displaying blue optotypes was compared with that obtained clinically standard measurements. Finally, the spherical over refraction obtained in blue light with a smartphone was compared with clinical over-refraction with black and white (B&W) optotypes placed at 6 m. Results Mean LCA of blue OLED smartphone screens was −0.67 ± 0.11 D. No significant differences (p > 0.05) were found between the VA measured with blue optotypes on a smartphone screen and an eye chart. Mean difference between spherical over-refraction measured subjectively by experienced subjects with smartphones and the one obtained clinically was 0.08 ± 0.34 D. Conclusions Smartphones using blue light can be used as a tool to detect changes in visual acuity and spherical refraction and facilitate monitoring of myopia progression. (AU)

Intracapsular accommodation mechanism in terms of lens curvature gradient.

The intracapsular accommodation mechanism (IAM) may be understood as an increase in the lens equivalent refractive index as the eye accommodates. Our goal was to evaluate the existence of an IAM by analysing observed changes in the inner curvature gradient of the lens. To this end, we fitted a gradient index and curvature lens model to published experimental data on external and nucleus geometry changes during accommodation. For each case analysed, we computed the refractive power and equivalent index for each accommodative state using a ray transfer matrix. All data sets showed an increase in the effective refractive index, indicating a positive IAM, which was stronger for older lenses. These results suggest a strong dependence of the lens equivalent refractive index on the inner curvature gradient.

Measuring visual acuity and spherical refraction with smartphone screens emitting blue light.

INTRODUCTION: A periodical self-monitoring of spherical refraction using smartphones may potentially allow a quicker intervention by eye care professionals to reduce myopia progression. Unfortunately, at low levels of myopia, the far point (FP) can be located far away from the eye which can make interactions with the device difficult. To partially remedy this issue, a novel method is proposed and tested wherein the longitudinal chromatic aberration (LCA) of blue light is leveraged to optically bring the FP closer to the eye. METHODS: Firstly, LCA was obtained by measuring spherical refraction subjectively using blue pixels in stimuli shown on organic light-emitting diode (OLED) screens and also grey stimuli with matching luminance. Secondly, the visual acuity (VA) measured with a smartphone located at 1.0 m and 1.5 m and displaying blue optotypes was compared with that obtained clinically standard measurements. Finally, the spherical over refraction obtained in blue light with a smartphone was compared with clinical over-refraction with black and white (B&W) optotypes placed at 6 m. RESULTS: Mean LCA of blue OLED smartphone screens was -0.67 ± 0.11 D. No significant differences (p > 0.05) were found between the VA measured with blue optotypes on a smartphone screen and an eye chart. Mean difference between spherical over-refraction measured subjectively by experienced subjects with smartphones and the one obtained clinically was 0.08 ± 0.34 D. CONCLUSIONS: Smartphones using blue light can be used as a tool to detect changes in visual acuity and spherical refraction and facilitate monitoring of myopia progression.

Clinical validation of a novel smartphone application for measuring best corrected visual acuity

Purpose Personal mobile devices such as smartphones are proving their usefulness in ever more applications in tele-eyecare. An inconvenience and potential source of error in these past approaches stemmed from the requirement for the subjects to situate their devices at a distance. The present study aims to clinically validate best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) measures carried out by a novel smartphone application “vision.app” (VisionApp Solutions S.L.) using comparative statistics against clinical measurements. Materials and methods BCVA was measured in both eyes of 40 subjects using vision.app which displayed a black Landolt-C optotype with crowding on a white background, and utilized a 4 forced-choice procedure for the subjects to find (by means of swiping in either of four directions) the smallest optotype size they could resolve. Results were compared to BCVA measurements taken using a standard Snellen chart placed at 20 feet (6 m). Results The t-test revealed no significant differences between the app- and clinically-measured VA (p = 0.478 (OD) and 0.608 (OS)), with a mean difference between clinical and app measurements of less than one line of the eye chart (-0.009 logMAR (OD) and -0.005 logMAR (OS)). A limit of agreement for a 95% confidence interval of ± 0.08 logMAR for OD and OS was found. Conclusions The results show the potential use of a smartphone to measure BCVA at a handheld distance. The newly validated study results can hold major future advancements in tele-eyecare and provide eye care professionals with a reliable and accessible method to measure BCVA. (AU)

Clinical validation of a novel smartphone application for measuring best corrected visual acuity.

PURPOSE: Personal mobile devices such as smartphones are proving their usefulness in ever more applications in tele-eyecare. An inconvenience and potential source of error in these past approaches stemmed from the requirement for the subjects to situate their devices at a distance. The present study aims to clinically validate best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) measures carried out by a novel smartphone application "vision.app" (VisionApp Solutions S.L.) using comparative statistics against clinical measurements. MATERIALS AND METHODS: BCVA was measured in both eyes of 40 subjects using vision.app which displayed a black Landolt-C optotype with crowding on a white background, and utilized a 4 forced-choice procedure for the subjects to find (by means of swiping in either of four directions) the smallest optotype size they could resolve. Results were compared to BCVA measurements taken using a standard Snellen chart placed at 20 feet (6 m). RESULTS: The t-test revealed no significant differences between the app- and clinically-measured VA (p = 0.478 (OD) and 0.608 (OS)), with a mean difference between clinical and app measurements of less than one line of the eye chart (-0.009 logMAR (OD) and -0.005 logMAR (OS)). A limit of agreement for a 95% confidence interval of ± 0.08 logMAR for OD and OS was found. CONCLUSIONS: The results show the potential use of a smartphone to measure BCVA at a handheld distance. The newly validated study results can hold major future advancements in tele-eyecare and provide eye care professionals with a reliable and accessible method to measure BCVA.

Optical characterisation of two novel myopia control spectacle lenses.

PURPOSE: To quantify the amount of myopic defocus, contrast modulation and other optical characteristics of two novel spectacle lenses (MiYOSMART by Hoya and Stellest by Essilor) with the inclusion of lenslets in their designs were investigated computationally and experimentally. This paper examined the hypothesis that despite the non-coaxial nature of the optics, image degradation will exist due to the fragmented nature of the base optic when imaging through the lens regions populated by lenslets. METHODS: Optical power was evaluated by computing wavefront vergence and curvature from wavefront slope measured with the Optocraft aberrometer within 1.0 and 6.0 mm apertures across MiYOSMART hexagons and Stellest rings. Point-spread functions (PSFs) were computed using physical (wave) optics and geometrical ray optics principles, and compared with experimental measurements using a 4f optical system. Simulated retinal images and modulation transfer functions (MTFs) were computed from PSF-derived optical transfer functions (OTFs). RESULTS: Mean lenslet power in MiYOSMART was +3.95 ± 0.10 D through the hexagons and +6.00 ± 0.15 D in Stellest in rings 1-5 and decreased by 0.42 D/ring reaching 3.50 D in the final one. Stellest lenslets included up to -0.015 microns of primary spherical aberration. PSFs and retinal images revealed simultaneous contributions of the base optic and lenslets. MTFs showed a decrease in contrast at low (1-10 c/deg) spatial frequencies (SFs) comparable to 0.25 D of defocus, and retention of diminished levels of contrast at higher SFs. CONCLUSIONS: Varying sagittal power and consistent curvature power across the lenslets is an identifying signature of the novel non-coaxial lens design included in both spectacle lenses. Lenslet array structure itself plays a significant role in determining image characteristics. For both lenses, the blur created by the fragmented base optic contributes to the image quality. The reduced MTFs over a wide range of spatial frequencies result in lowered image contrast.

Catastrophe optics theory unveils the localised wave aberration features that generate ghost images.

Monocular polyplopia (ghost or multiple images) is a serious visual impediment for some people who report seeing two (diplopia), three (triplopia) or even more images. Polyplopia is expected to appear if the point spread function (PSF) has multiple intensity cores (a dense concentration of a large portion of the radiant flux contained in the PSF) relatively separated from each other, each of which contributes to a distinct image. We present a theory that assigns these multiple PSF cores to specific features of aberrated wavefronts, thereby accounting optically for the perceptual phenomenon of monocular polyplopia. The theory provides two major conclusions. First, the most likely event giving rise to multiple PSF cores is the presence of hyperbolic, or less probably elliptical, umbilic caustics (using the terminology of catastrophe optics). Second, those umbilic caustics formed on the retinal surface are associated with certain points of the wave aberration function, called cusps of Gauss, where the gradient of a curvature function vanishes. However, not all cusps of Gauss generate those umbilic caustics. We also provide necessary conditions for those cusps of Gauss to be fertile. To show the potential of this theoretical framework for understanding the nature and origin of polyplopia, we provide specific examples of ocular wave aberration functions that induce diplopia and triplopia. The polyplopia effects in these examples are illustrated by depicting the multi-core PSFs and the convolved retinal images for clinical letter charts, both through computer simulations and through experimental recording using an adaptive optics set-up. The number and location of cores in the PSF is thus a potentially useful metric for the existence and severity of polyplopia in spatial vision. These examples also help explain why physiological pupil constriction might reduce the incidence of ghosting and multiple images of daily objects that affect vision with dilated pupils. This mechanistic explanation suggests a possible role for optical phase-masking as a clinical treatment for polyplopia and ghosting.

Objective changes in astigmatism during accommodation.

PURPOSE: Previous studies have shown small but clinically significant changes in the power and axis of astigmatism when the eye accommodates. Monocular objective measurements of the eye during accommodation, when the object approaches the eye without convergence, also reveal small astigmatic changes. Moreover, it is known that the eye exhibits ocular cyclotorsion at different gaze angles. Since accommodation and convergence normally occur simultaneously, we studied the change in the magnitude and axis of astigmatism during accommodation for different convergence angles. METHODS: The left eye of 15 subjects between 20 and 49 years old (mean 28.5 ± 9.7 years) having ≤1.5 D astigmatism was evaluated. Measurements were made using a Shack-Hartmann aberrometer for an accommodation range of +0.50 D to -10 D in 0.50 D steps, and for four monocular convergence demands: 0°, 5°, 10° and 15°. Statistical analysis used power vectors to quantify the change in cylinder power and axis for each accommodation and convergence demand with age. RESULTS: Jackson cross-cylinder component J45 did not change during accommodation for all vergences tested. However, J0 changed by an average of -0.02 D per dioptre of accommodation (D/Dacc) for convergence demands of 0°, 5° and 10° and -0.03 D/Dacc for the 15° demand. This corresponds to an average cylinder power change of -0.05 D/Dacc for convergences of 0°, 5° and 10° and -0.08 D/Dacc for 15° of convergence. The cylinder axis always changed towards 90° (against-the-rule), and age did not play a significant role. CONCLUSIONS: Except for accommodation demands >4 D, we did not find a clinically significant change in astigmatism for convergence angles up to 15º. The small changes in cylinder power and axis may be due to shifts in the position of the crystalline lens during accommodation.

Total Depth of Focus of Five Premium Multifocal Intraocular Lenses.

PURPOSE: To compare the in vitro optical performance of five premium multifocal intraocular lenses (IOLs), including a single-valued metric that shows the total range of distances where a multifocal IOL generates an acceptable image quality. METHODS: Through-focus modulation transfer function (MTF) and the image of a United States Air Force target were obtained for a 3-mm pupil and a wavelength of 546 nm in five multifocal IOLs (Tecnis Symfony [Johnson & Johnson], FineVision Micro F [PhysIOL], Acrysof IQ PanOptix [Novartis], and Artis Symbiose Mid and Plus [Cristalens Industrie] multifocal IOLs). Total depth of focus (TDOF) is computed by adding the vergence intervals where the through-focus MTF at 50 cycles/mm is 0.15 or greater. RESULTS: Due to their different optical designs (bifocal, trifocal, or extended depth of focus), energy is distributed differently between far, intermediate, and near focus for each multifocal IOL. The light distribution of the Symbiose Mid and Plus multifocal IOLs was similar, concentrating the energy into far focus and the intermediate into near focus, but extending the intermediate focus more (Plus) or less (Mid) toward the near focus. TDOFs were: 1.58 diopters [D] (FineVision); 1.71 D (Tecnis Symfony); 1.73 D (Artis Symbiose Plus); 1.74 D (Artis Symbiose Mid); and 1.90 D (Acrysof IQ PanOptix). CONCLUSIONS: TDOFs were similar between multifocal IOLs with a maximum difference of 0.32 D and mean value of 1.73 D. The combination of the Symbiose Mid and Plus IOLs can theoretically provide a TDOF of 2.90 D in case one is implanted in one eye and the other in the fellow eye. [J Refract Surg. 2020;36(9):578-584.].

The Effect of Retinal Illuminance on the Subjective Amplitude of Accommodation.

SIGNIFICANCE: We show that the amplitude of accommodation decreases with retinal illumination even under photopic reading conditions and a constant pupil size. This result provides a basis for clinical approaches that are not based on an optical explanation. PURPOSE: We investigated the effect of retinal illuminance on the amplitude of accommodation while the pupil of the eye remained constant. METHODS: The amplitudes of accommodation of 10 young subjects (from 20 to 38 years of age) and that of 10 presbyopic subjects (from 45 to 54 years of age) were measured subjectively through an artificial pupil of 5 mm using a Badal optometer and for four values of retinal illuminance: 222, 821, 2138, and 5074 trolands. Phenylephrine was instilled to all the subjects to ensure that their natural pupil was greater than the artificial one in all experimental runs. Linear mixed-effects model for repeated measures with age and log luminance as covariates were used to check whether changes in amplitude of accommodation with retinal illumination were statistically significant. RESULTS: In the range of illuminances tested, the amplitude of accommodation decreased on average from 6.34 to 4.35 D in the young subjects and from 1.69 to 1.04 D in the presbyopic subjects. Illuminance was associated with the amplitude of accommodation in both young and presbyopic groups, with P < .01. CONCLUSIONS: The reduction in the amplitude of accommodation with target illumination (a phenomenon named night presbyopia) under photopic light conditions is not only due to a reduction in the depth of focus as a consequence of pupil dilation; it is strongly affected by the decrease of retinal illumination.

Aberrations and accommodation.

Modern methods of measuring the refractive state of the eye include wavefront sensors which make it possible to monitor both static and dynamic changes of the ocular wavefront while the eye observes a target positioned at different distances away from the eye. In addition to monitoring the ocular aberrations, wavefront refraction methods allow measurement of the accommodative response while viewing with the eye's habitual chromatic and monochromatic aberrations present, with these aberrations removed, and with specific aberrations added or removed. A large number of experiments describing the effects of accommodation on aberrations and vice versa are reviewed, pointing out the implications for fundamental questions related to the mechanism of accommodation.

Novel Method of Remotely Monitoring the Face-Device Distance and Face Illuminance Using Mobile Devices: A Pilot Study.

Specially developed software (app) was written for handheld electronic devices that uses the device camera and light detector for real-time monitoring of near-work distance and environmental lighting. A pilot study of this novel app employed children using tablet computers in a classroom. Measurements of face-device distance and face illuminance were obtained from two schools where tablets were used regularly. Children were divided randomly into a control group (CG) and intervention group (IG). The app was calibrated in a lab and configured to store average values every 20 seconds in a remote database. In both groups, the app recorded data only when a child's face was present in the camera image. The app darkened the screen for the IG when the face-device distance was shorter than 40 cm. The total mean face-device distance was 36.8 ± 5.7 cm in CG and 47.2 ± 6.5 cm in IG. Children in IG had to accommodate approximately 0.6 D less when using their devices. The mean classroom face illuminance was 980 ± 350 lux in School #1 and 750 ± 400 lux in School #2. The novel method of remotely monitoring and controlling the face-device distance and illuminance can potentially open new paths for myopia prevention and myopia control.

Ricco's law and absolute threshold for foveal detection of black holes.

Visual detection of small black objects surrounded by a light background depends on background luminance, pupil size, optical blur, and object size. Holding pupil and optics fixed, we measured the minimum background luminance needed for foveal detection of small black targets as a function of target size. For all three observers, absolute threshold varied inversely with target area when disk diameter subtended less than 10' of visual angle. For target diameter ≥10', threshold remained constant at about 0.3 Td, which was also the absolute threshold for detecting light spots 10' or larger in diameter on a black background. These results are consistent with Ricco's law of spatial summation: a "black hole" is just detectable when the background luminance is sufficiently high for its absence inside the Ricco area to reduce 555 nm photon flux by 7500 photons/s, which is the same change needed to detect light spots on a black surround. These results can be accounted for by a differential pair of Ricco detectors, each about the size of the receptive field center of magocellular retinal ganglion cells when projected into object space through the eye's weakly aberrated optical system. Statistical analysis of the model suggests the quantum fluctuations due to internal, biological noise (i.e., "scotons") are a greater handicap than the photon fluctuations inherent in the light stimulus at absolute foveal threshold.

Psychophysical study of the optical origin of starbursts.

Starbursts seen around small bright lights at night have been attributed to optical scatter, diffraction, or aberrations. We manipulated pupil aperture and aberrations to investigate the entopic appearance of perceived starbursts. The impact of circular, annular, and wedge-shaped pupil apertures, and spherical aberration sign and magnitude were used to identify pupil sub-apertures responsible for each radial perceived starburst line. Local intensity distributions within the starbursts mapped onto unique sub-regions of the pupil of both phakic and pseudophakic eyes, consistent with the hypothesis that ocular aberrations are the cause of starbursts. In paraxially focused eyes, the size of starbursts is predicted by the amount of spherical aberration, and starburst orientation is either the same or 180 deg rotated from the pupil region that creates each starburst line. No starbursts are seen when the pupil diameter is smaller than 3 mm. Replacing the eye's natural lens with a radially symmetric and optically homogeneous intraocular lens reduced the observed number of starbursts by 50%. Geometrical optics modeling including the measured aberrations of an individual eye can reveal point spread function structure that captures some of the key elements of the entopic perceptions.

Defocus vibrations in optical systems-considerations in reference to the human eye.

Experimental visual acuity (VA) of eight subjects was measured using the Freiburg vision test in a custom-made adaptive optics system. Measurements were conducted under one control and five defocus-induced conditions. In the defocus-induced conditions, 1 diopter of myopic defocus was added to the system using the Badal stage, and defocus vibrations with five different levels of amplitude were generated by a deformable mirror at 50 Hz. Computational simulations of the visual Strehl ratio (VSOTF) were performed using average aberrations of each subject recorded in the control condition. For the first time, to the best of our knowledge, it has been shown experimentally that both the simulated VSOTF and experimentally measured VA improve when defocus vibrations are added to a defocused eye.

Accommodation and age-dependent eye model based on in vivo measurements / Modelo de ojo variable con la acomodación y la edad, basado en medidas in vivo

Purpose: To develop a flexible model of the average eye that incorporates changes with age and accommodation in all optical parameters, including entrance pupil diameter, under photopic, natural, environmental conditions. Methods: We collated retrospective in vivo measurements of all optical parameters, including entrance pupil diameter. Ray-tracing was used to calculate the wavefront aberrations of the eye model as a function of age, stimulus vergence and pupil diameter. These aberrations were used to calculate objective refraction using paraxial curvature matching. This was also done for several stimulus positions to calculate the accommodation response/stimulus curve. Results: The model predicts a hyperopic change in distance refraction as the eye ages (+0.22 D every 10 years) between 20 and 65 years. The slope of the accommodation response/stimulus curve was 0.72 for a 25 years-old subject, with little change between 20 and 45 years. A trend to a more negative value of primary spherical aberration as the eye accommodates is predicted for all ages (20-50 years). When accommodation is relaxed, a slight increase in primary spherical aberration (0.008μm every 10 years) between 20 and 65 years is predicted, for an age-dependent entrance pupil diameter ranging between 3.58 mm (20 years) and 3.05 mm (65 years). Results match reasonably well with studies performed in real eyes, except that spherical aberration is systematically slightly negative as compared with the practical data. Conclusions: The proposed eye model is able to predict changes in objective refraction and accommodation response. It has the potential to be a useful design and testing tool for devices (e.g. intraocular lenses or contact lenses) designed to correct the eye's optical errors

Objetivo: Desarrollar un modelo flexible de ojo medio que incorpore los cambios en función de la edad y la acomodación en todos los parámetros ópticos, incluyendo el diámetro de pupila de entrada, en condiciones ambientales fotópicas y naturales. Métodos: Recopilamos medidas retrospectivas in vivo de todos los parámetros ópticos, incluyendo el diámetro de pupila de entrada. Se usó un trazado de rayos para calcular las aberraciones de frente de onda del modelo ocular en función de la edad, vergencia de estímulo y diámetro de la pupila. Se utilizaron dichas aberraciones para calcular la refracción objetiva mediante el criterio de curvatura paraxial. Esto se realizó también para diversas posiciones del estímulo, para calcular la curva de respuesta acomodativa. Resultados: El modelo predice un cambio hipermetrópico en la refracción de lejos a medida que el ojo envejece (+ 0,22 D cada 10 años) entre los 20 y los 65 años. La pendiente de la curva de respuesta acomodativa fue de 0,72 para un sujeto de 25 años, con pocos cambios entre los 20 y los 45 años. Se predice una tendencia hacia un valor más negativo de la aberración esférica primaria a medida que el ojo acomoda, en todas las edades (de 20 a 50 años). Con la acomodación relajada, se predice un ligero incremento de la aberración esférica primaria (0,008 μm cada 10 años) entre los 20 y los 65 años, para un diámetro de pupila de entrada dependiente de la edad que oscila entre 3,58 mm (20 años) y 3,05mm (65 años). Los resultados concuerdan razonablemente bien con los estudios realizados en ojos reales, exceptuando que la aberración esférica es ligera y sistemáticamente menor en comparación a los datos experimentales. Conclusiones: El modelo de ojo propuesto es capaz de predecir los cambios de la refracción objetiva y la respuesta acomodativa. Tiene el potencial de ser una herramienta útil de diseño y prueba de elementos correctores (e.j.: lentes intraoculares o lentes de contacto) de los errores ópticos del ojo

Effect of phenylephrine on static and dynamic accommodation / Efecto de la fenilefrina sobre la acomodación estática y dinámica

Purpose: We tested the hypothesis that changes in accommodation after instillation of Phenylephrine Hydrochloride (PHCl) observed in some studies could be caused by changes in optics. Methods: We performed two experiments to test the effects of PHCl on static and on dynamic accommodation in 8 and 6 subjects, respectively. Objective wavefront measurements were recorded of the static accommodation response to a stimulus at different distances or dynamic accommodation response to a sinusoidally moving stimulus (between 1 and 3 D of accommodative demand at 0.2 Hz). The responses were characterized using two methods: one that takes into account the mydriatic optical effects on the accommodation produced by higher-order aberrations of the eye and another that takes into account only power changes paraxially due to the action of the ciliary muscle and regardless of the pupil size. Results: When mydriatic optical effects were taken into account, differences in responses before and after PHCl instillation were 0.51 ± 0.53 D, and 0.12 ± 0.15, for static and dynamic accommodation, respectively, and were statistically significant (p < 0.039). When mydriatic optical effects were not taken into account, the differences in responses before and after PHCl instillation were -0.20 ± 0.51 D, and -0.05 ± 0.14, for static and dynamic accommodation, respectively, and were not statistically significant (p > 0.313). Conclusions: The mydriatic effect of the PHCl causes optical changes in the eye that can reduce the objective and subjective measurement of accommodation

Objetivo: Probamos la hipótesis de que los cambios de la acomodación tras la instilación de Hidrocloruro de Fenilefrina (PHCl) observados en algunos estudios podrían estar originados por los cambios en la óptica. Métodos: Realizamos dos experimentos para probar los efectos de PHCl sobre la acomodación estática y dinámica en 8 y 6 sujetos, respectivamente. Se registraron las mediciones objetivas de frente de onda de la respuesta acomodativa estática a un estímulo a diferentes distancias, o la respuesta acomodativa dinámica a un estímulo con movimiento sinusoidal (entre 1 y 3 D de demanda acomodativa a 0,2Hz). Las respuestas se caracterizaron utilizando dos métodos: uno que tiene en cuenta los efectos ópticos midriáticos sobre la acomodación producida por aberraciones de alto orden, y otro que considera únicamente los cambios de potencia paraxialmente, debido a la acción del músculo ciliar, independientemente del tamaño de la pupila. Resultados: Al tenerse en cuenta los efectos ópticos midriáticos, las diferencias de las respuestas antes y después de la instilación de PHCl fueron de 0,51 ± 0,53 D, y 0,12 ± 0,15, para la acomodación estática y dinámica, respectivamente, siendo estadísticamente significativas (p < 0,039). Al no considerarse los efectos ópticos midriáticos, las diferencias en cuanto a las respuestas antes y después de la instilación de PHCl fueron de -0,2 ± 0,51 D, y -0,05 ± 0,14, para la acomodación estática y dinámica, respectivamente, no siendo estadísticamente significativas (p > 0,313). Conclusiones: El efecto midriático de PHCl origina cambios ópticos en el ojo que pueden reducir la medición objetiva y subjetiva de la acomodación

Effect of phenylephrine on static and dynamic accommodation.

PURPOSE: We tested the hypothesis that changes in accommodation after instillation of Phenylephrine Hydrochloride (PHCl) observed in some studies could be caused by changes in optics. METHODS: We performed two experiments to test the effects of PHCl on static and on dynamic accommodation in 8 and 6 subjects, respectively. Objective wavefront measurements were recorded of the static accommodation response to a stimulus at different distances or dynamic accommodation response to a sinusoidally moving stimulus (between 1 and 3 D of accommodative demand at 0.2Hz). The responses were characterized using two methods: one that takes into account the mydriatic optical effects on the accommodation produced by higher-order aberrations of the eye and another that takes into account only power changes paraxially due to the action of the ciliary muscle and regardless of the pupil size. RESULTS: When mydriatic optical effects were taken into account, differences in responses before and after PHCl instillation were 0.51±0.53 D, and 0.12±0.15, for static and dynamic accommodation, respectively, and were statistically significant (p<0.039). When mydriatic optical effects were not taken into account, the differences in responses before and after PHCl instillation were -0.20±0.51 D, and -0.05±0.14, for static and dynamic accommodation, respectively, and were not statistically significant (p>0.313). CONCLUSIONS: The mydriatic effect of the PHCl causes optical changes in the eye that can reduce the objective and subjective measurement of accommodation.

Accommodation and age-dependent eye model based on in vivo measurements.

PURPOSE: To develop a flexible model of the average eye that incorporates changes with age and accommodation in all optical parameters, including entrance pupil diameter, under photopic, natural, environmental conditions. METHODS: We collated retrospective in vivo measurements of all optical parameters, including entrance pupil diameter. Ray-tracing was used to calculate the wavefront aberrations of the eye model as a function of age, stimulus vergence and pupil diameter. These aberrations were used to calculate objective refraction using paraxial curvature matching. This was also done for several stimulus positions to calculate the accommodation response/stimulus curve. RESULTS: The model predicts a hyperopic change in distance refraction as the eye ages (+0.22D every 10 years) between 20 and 65 years. The slope of the accommodation response/stimulus curve was 0.72 for a 25 years-old subject, with little change between 20 and 45 years. A trend to a more negative value of primary spherical aberration as the eye accommodates is predicted for all ages (20-50 years). When accommodation is relaxed, a slight increase in primary spherical aberration (0.008µm every 10 years) between 20 and 65 years is predicted, for an age-dependent entrance pupil diameter ranging between 3.58mm (20 years) and 3.05mm (65 years). Results match reasonably well with studies performed in real eyes, except that spherical aberration is systematically slightly negative as compared with the practical data. CONCLUSIONS: The proposed eye model is able to predict changes in objective refraction and accommodation response. It has the potential to be a useful design and testing tool for devices (e.g. intraocular lenses or contact lenses) designed to correct the eye's optical errors.

Impact of higher-order aberrations on depth-of-field.

It is well known that depth-of-focus (DOF) is influenced by optical factors (such as pupil size and monochromatic aberrations). However, neural factors such as blur sensitivity and defocus adaptation may play an important role on the extent of DOF. A series of experiments were conducted to study if optical or neural factors are most pertinent in explaining the variability of DOF across subjects. An adaptive optics system with a black and white target, a 3.8-mm artificial pupil, and a subjective criterion (based on objectionable blur) were used to measure depth of field ([DOFi]; DOF computed in the object space) in 11 participants, after at least 6 min of adaptation. This was done under three conditions: (a) with their own higher order aberrations (HOA); (b) after correction of their monochromatic HOA; and (c) after altering the HOA pattern for some participants to reflect the HOA pattern measured for a different participant. Natural DOFi and DOFi after HOA correction were positively correlated (R2 = 0.461), but a significant decrease in DOFi (21% on average) was found after HOA correction (p = 0.042). Effect of HOA on the intersubject variability of DOFi was 3.9 times smaller than the effect of the image neural processing. This study shows that DOFi depends on both optical and neural factors, but the latter seems to play a more important role than the former.