Abstract

The study of ocular aberration can be traced back at least as far as Newton, but detailed measurements of the aberrations of the individual eye and of the quality of the retinal image have only become possible within the last few decades and then only on a research, rather than a routine clinical, basis. Although measurements on limited numbers of what are usually young adult subjects under laboratory conditions give valuable insights into the general nature of the optical characteristics of the eye, and hence the limitations that they set on overall visual performance, such measurements are not necessarily helpful in identifying the likely, aberration-related, optical problems of the individual patient. For example, if ocular aberrations vary widely, it may not be surprising that different individuals with the same sphero-cylindrical prescription show varying levels of tolerance to the same design of corrective lens, since the overall lens-eye aberrations and resultant retinal image quality may differ substantially.

© 1991 Optical Society of America