Measurement and correction of human eye aberrations

The human eye has significant optical defects and aberrations that distort the passing optical wavefront and therefore degrade our visual experience from one point and retinal image from the other. The low-order aberrations as defocus, astigmatism and prism are the only optical defects that could be corrected by the use of spectacles or contact lenses. Nowadays the problem of correct eye´s aberrations definition has become particular important with the rising widespread of a surgical procedure for reducing the refractive error in the eye, so called, LASIK (laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis). By examining the preoperative corneal curvature and the patient´s prescription the amount of tissue to be removed is calculated by Munnerlyn formula. But this formula is based inherently in paraxial optics - that means it can be applied only for small pupil size. Recent technological advances in adaptive optics provide solutions of eye´s aberrations correction. Moreover, wavefront sensing of the eye has the potential to improve visual performance following LASIK surgery.