Apparatus and method for improving vision and retinal imaging

• US 6,338,559 B1
• Filed: 04/28/2000
• Issued: 01/15/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: University of Rochester
• Original Assignee: University of Rochester
• Inventors: Guirao, Antonio, Williams, David R., Yoon, Geun-Young
• Primary Examiner(s): MANUEL, GEORGE C
• Application Number:
  US09/559,643
• Time in Patent Office: 627 Days
• Field of Search: 351/205, 351/206, 351/212, 351/219, 351/221, 351/246, 351/160.R, 351/176, 351/177, 604/4, 604/5, 359/645, 359/716
• US Class Current: 351/212
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/1015 for wavefront analysis
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/12 for looking at the eye fundus, e.g. ophthalmoscopes A61B3/13 takes precedence

Abstract

A method for improving the visual performance of a person involves correcting higher-order monochromatic aberrations in combination with the correction of chromatic aberration. Such correction results in a visual benefit greater than that realized by correcting only the higher-order monochromatic aberrations or the chromatic aberration alone. The higher-order monochromatic aberrations are corrected by introducing appropriate phase profiles to compensate for the wavefront aberrations of the eye. This compensation can be provided by contact lenses, IOLs, inlays and onlays having appropriate surface shapes or by corneal shaping achieved through refractive surgery or other techniques. Chromatic aberration can be corrected by spectral filtering or artificial apodization. An apodization filter is described that provides a non-uniform amplitude transmission across the pupil of the eye. Contact lenses or other ocular devices for correcting higher-order monochromatic aberrations may include an appropriate apodization filter for correcting chromatic aberration, or an external optical device for correcting chromatic aberration may be used in combination with a contact lens, etc. for correcting the higher-order monochromatic aberrations. A device and method for improved retinal imaging is also described.

Claims

1. A method for improving a person'"'"'s vision, comprising:

correcting an ocular higher-order monochromatic aberration of the person'"'"'s vision; and

correcting an ocular chromatic aberration of the person'"'"'s vision.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the ocular higher-order monochromatic aberration comprises third and higher-order radial Zernicke modes.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the ocular higher-order monochromatic wave aberration comprises fifth to tenth-order radial Zernicke modes.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising correcting defocus and astigmatism of the person'"'"'s vision.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein correcting the ocular higher-order monochromatic aberration comprises measuring the ocular wave aberration represented by third and higher-order radial Zernicke modes.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein correcting the ocular higher-order monochromatic aberration comprises measuring the ocular wave aberration represented by fifth to tenth-order radial Zernicke modes.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein correcting the ocular higher-order monochromatic aberration comprises providing an ocular device having a phase profile suitably adapted to correct said aberration.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said ocular device comprises at least one of a contact lens, an IOL, an ocular inlay and an ocular onlay.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of correcting an ocular higher-order monochromatic aberration comprises surgically altering a characteristic of the person'"'"'s eye to correct said ocular higher-order monochromatic aberration.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of correcting ocular chromatic aberration comprises attenuating a spectral bandwidth of light incident on a person'"'"'s eye, said bandwidth being in the range from about 10 nm to 150 nm over the visible spectrum.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said step of correcting said ocular chromatic aberration further comprises providing a bandpass filter for correcting said ocular chromatic aberration.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein said step of correcting said ocular chromatic aberration further comprises providing a long-pass filter for correcting said ocular chromatic aberration.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising providing an apodization filter for correcting said aberration.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said apodization filter provides a non uniform amplitude transmission across the eye'"'"'s pupil.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the amplitude transmission increases from the edge to the center of the pupil.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein correcting ocular chromatic aberration comprises apodizing a person'"'"'s pupil.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said apodization provides a non uniform light amplitude transmission between an edge portion and the center of the pupil.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the light transmission increases from the edge to the center of the pupil.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein said apodization is a function of wavelength.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the correction of the ocular chromatic aberration is provided integrally with the correction of the higher-order monochromatic aberration.

21. The method of claim 1 wherein the correction of the ocular chromatic aberration is provided externally to the correction of the higher-order monochromatic aberration.

22. The method of claim 1, further comprising measuring at least one of the ocular higher-order monochromatic aberrations and the ocular chromatic aberration.

23. An ocular device for improving a person'"'"'s vision, comprising:

an optical component selected from at least one of a contact lens, an IOL, an inlay and an onlay, wherein said component has a surface shape adapted to correct a higher-order monochromatic ocular wave aberration of the person'"'"'s eye and further wherein said component is adapted to correct an ocular chromatic aberration.

24. The ocular device of claim 23, wherein said higher-order monochromatic ocular wave aberration comprises third and higher-order radial Zernicke modes.

25. The ocular device of claim 24, wherein said higher-order monochromatic ocular wave aberration comprises fifth to tenth-order radial Zernicke modes.

26. The ocular device of claim 25, wherein said component adapted to correct chromatic aberration is a light filter.

27. The ocular device of claim 26, wherein said light filter is a neutral density filter.

28. The ocular device of claim 26, wherein said light filter is a bandpass filter.

29. The ocular device of claim 26, wherein said light filter is a long-pass filter.

30. The ocular device of claim 26, wherein said light filter is an apodization filter.

31. The ocular device of claim 30, wherein said apodization filter has a non uniform amplitude transmission between a center and an edge of the pupil.

32. The ocular device of claim 31, wherein the amplitude transmission decreases from the center to the edge of the pupil.

33. The ocular device of claim 31, wherein the apodization filter has a spectrally dependent, non uniform amplitude transmission between a center and an edge of the pupil.

34. The ocular device of claim 33, wherein the attenuation of the light from the center to the edge of the pupil increases for wavelengths as said wavelengths move away from a reference wavelength.

35. The ocular device of claim 30, wherein said apodization filter is represented by a super-Gaussian function of the form A(r)=exp(−

r⁴/2σ

²).

36. The ocular device of claim 30, wherein said apodization filter comprises an annulus of color absorbing material having an increasing density from the center to the edge of the pupil.

37. The ocular device of claim 36, wherein said apodization filter has a total band pass from about 500 nm to about 650 nm.

38. The ocular device of claim 30, wherein said apodization filter comprises a plurality of adjacent annular shaped filters wherein each annular filter has a defined bandpass with a bandwidth that is narrower than an adjacent smaller annulus.

39. The ocular device of claim 30, wherein said apodization filter comprises annulus having an inner diameter across which there is no light filtering and a portion between the inner diameter and an outer diameter having a passband with a bandwidth from about 550 nm to 610 nm.

40. The ocular device of claim 39, wherein said inner radius is equal to or less than 2 mm.

41. The ocular device of claim 30, wherein said apodization filter comprises a plurality of ad accent annular shaped filters wherein a central radial portion of the component provides no filtering, a first annular ring provides a long pass filter, and a second annular ring adjacent to and larger than the first annular ring provides a bandpass filter.

42. The ocular device of claim 41, wherein the long pass filter provides transmission for wavelengths greater than about 510 nm, and the bandpass filter provides transmission between about 550 nm to 610 nm.

43. The ocular device of claim 30, wherein said apodization filter comprises a long-pass filter.

44. The ocular device of claim 43, wherein said long-pass filter substantially transmits wavelengths above a reference wavelength of about 555 nm.

45. An optical system for improving a person'"'"'s vision, comprising:

a higher-order phase compensation element; and

a light amplitude modifying element.

46. The optical system of claim 45, wherein the higher-order phase compensation element and the light amplitude modifying element are resident in a common optical component.

47. The optical system of claim 46, wherein the common optical component comprises at least one of a contact lens, an IOL, an inlay and an onlay.

48. The optical system of claim 45, wherein the higher-order phase compensation element and the light amplitude modifying element are each resident in a separate optical component.

49. The optical system of claim 48, wherein the phase compensation element is resident in at least one of a contact lens, an IOL, an inlay, an onlay and a reshaped cornea, and the light amplitude modifying element is resident in at least one of a contact lens, an IOL, an inlay, an onlay and an external optical component used in conjunction with the phase compensation element.

50. The optical system of claim 45, wherein the higher-order phase compensation element is a deformable mirror.

51. The optical system of claim 45, wherein the higher-order phase compensation element is a liquid crystal device.

52. The optical system of claim 45, wherein the higher-order phase compensation element is a contact lens.

53. The optical system of claim 45, wherein the higher-order phase compensation element is an IOL.

54. The optical system of claim 45, wherein the higher-order phase compensation element is a reshaped cornea.

55. The optical system of claim 45, wherein the higher-order phase compensation element is an ocular inlay.

56. The optical system of claim 45, wherein the higher-order phase compensation element is an ocular onlay.

57. The optical system of claim 45, wherein the light amplitude modifying element is a filter.

58. The optical system of claim 57, wherein the filter is at least one of a passband filter and a long-pass filter.

59. The optical system of claim 45, wherein the light amplitude modifying element is an apodized pupil of the person.

60. The optical system of claim 59, wherein the apodized pupil comprises a non uniform amplitude transmission of light between a center and an edge of the pupil.

61. The optical system of claim 59, wherein the apodized pupil comprises a spectrally dependent, non uniform amplitude transmission of light between a center and an edge of the pupil.

62. The optical system of claim 45, wherein the phase compensation element and the light amplitude modifying element are disposed on an optical axis of the optical system.

63. An optical system for generating high resolution images of the retina of the living eye, comprising:

means for generating a reflected point source image of the retina of said living eye;

means for receiving said reflected point source image and for converting said point source image to corresponding digital signals;

computer means for calculating a higher order monochromatic aberration using, said digital signals;

means for illuminating a retinal disk on said living eye for producing a retinal disk image;

a higher-order phase compensating optical element in an optical path of the system, said compensating optical element being adjusted to correct said higher-order monochromatic aberrations;

a light amplitude modifying element for correcting chromatic aberration disposed in the optical path of the system; and

means for providing an image of said reflected retinal disk image after correction of the higher order monochromatic aberration and the chromatic aberration.

64. The system of claim 63, wherein said higher-order phase compensating optical element is one of a deformable mirror, a liquid crystal device, and a MEMS device.

65. The system of claim 63, wherein said light amplitude modifying element is one of an artificial apodization element and an optical filter.

66. A method for generating high resolution images of the retina of the living eye, comprising the steps of:

generating a reflected point source image of the retina of said living eye;

converting said point source image to corresponding digital signals;

calculating a higher-order monochromatic wavefront aberration using said digital signals;

illuminating a retinal disk on said living eye for producing a retinal disk image;

intercepting said retinal disk image with a higher-order phase compensating optical element, said compensating optical element being adjusted such that wavefront compensation for said wave aberrations is provided for said living eye; and

providing a light amplitude modifying element for correcting chromatic aberration.

67. The method of claim 66, wherein illuminating the retinal disk comprises using a broadband light source.

68. The method of claim 66, wherein the step of correcting the chromatic aberration comprises artificially apodizing a pupil of the optical system.