Drop-out and Smearing of the Lenslet Pattern from a Dry Spot on the Cornea is Evident on This Raw Hartmann-Shack Image
In addition to this robust diagnostic capability, wavefront technology is now being used to treat ocular aberrations in the form of wavefront-guided laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis (LASIK).
(PRWEB UK) 26 September 2014
The principles of wavefront optics from optical engineering have been adapted for use in measuring irregularities in the refractive power of the eye. These variations, which occur over the entrance pupil, are collectively called aberrations and are measured with a wavefront sensor. Wavefront technology applied to ophthalmology represents a paradigm shift in the way optical aberrations can be measured, described, and treated. In addition to considerable utility as a diagnostic tool, wavefront technology combined with a femtosecond laser has the potential for correcting visual deficits beyond sphere and cylinder. The goal of wavefront-guided (WFG) laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) is a more optically perfect ablation based on all of the optical aberrations measured with a wavefront aberrometer.
WFG LASIK, also called custom LASIK, is a variation of refractive surgery where, in the preoperative stages, a highly precise road map of the eye is generated, detailing all higher and lower order aberrations (HOAs/LOAs) in the eye. This wavefront capture is the salient element that directly relates to the quality of the laser ablation. An accurate assessment of the aberrations of the eye allows the surgeon to tailor the excimer laser, and, rather than applying a sphero-cylindrical correction to the cornea, the laser is instructed to ablate a sophisticated spatially variant pattern based on measurements from an aberrometer. Major factors that contribute to achieving optimal ablation outcomes include appropriate patient selection, high-quality wavefront data, successful surgery, and accurately predicting and managing the changes that occur during healing.
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