CET Event, Wednesday 3rd July – Higher order aberrations in optometry and ophthalmology
Mr James Ball
James presented an overview of the measurement and usefulness of higher order aberrations. The term “aberration” suggests that these imperfections in the focusing of an optical system always have a negative impact on image quality. Spherical aberration however, is something our visual systems are very good at tuning and indeed it increases the depth of focus. Therefore, there is a kind of “Goldilocks” effect with spherical aberration- particularly in pseudophakic eyes. A very small amount of spherical aberration results in excellent image quality but limited depth of focus whereas a high amount provides depth of focus that can result in poor image quality particularly in dim light conditions.
At Custom Vision Clinic with our laser eye surgery and cataract surgery we are always measuring and working towards achieving the optimum amount of spherical aberration for our patients.