This project will develop and test an instrument that will make physical measurements of the optical transfer function (OTF) of the human eye. This instrument, the Optical Media Analyzer (OMA), will provide clinicians with numbers that reflect the optical quality of the eye. The OMA is expected to be useful in pre- and postoperative evaluation of cataract, secondary cataract, and corneal surgery (including refractive surgery). The OMA is also expected to be useful in following the natural course of cataract development and of corneal diseases. It is also anticipated that the OMA will be an important measure of the optical quality of contact lenses on the eye. Past studies of the optical quality of the eye have employed double-pass measures of the line-spread or point-spread function. Such measures include confounding information from backscatter, specular reflections, and scattered light in the retina. The proposed design of the OMA will provide for rapid physical measurement of the OTF of the eye, minimizing the contribution of backscatter and specular reflection and factoring out retinal light scatter.
Anticipated Results:Ophthalmologists and optometrists are in need of an instrument that will measure the optical quality of the eye in cataract, corneal refractive surgery, corneal diseases, and contact lenses. It is anticipated that this instrument will capture the present market for contrast sensitivity tests, glare sensitivity tests, and opacity meters and that it will satisfy the demand for an objective measure of the optical quality of the eye.National Eye Institute (NEI)
