Postblink changes in the ocular modulation transfer function measured by a double-pass method.

PURPOSE To examine the temporal changes in the modulation transfer function (MTF) of the eye after a blink. METHODS The distance MTF of a 5-mm pupil was derived from double-pass retinal images in 20 healthy young subjects at various intervals after a blink (1 second up to 15 seconds). Such measurements include the effects of wavefront aberration, scattered light, and errors in focus and are thus more relevant to real life than are estimates of MTF based on wavefront errors alone. RESULTS Optimal MTF by a variety of criteria was found some 6 seconds after a blink. CONCLUSIONS Inclusion of the effects of stray light and errors of focus does not affect the finding that optimal retinal image quality occurs some time after a blink. It does not appear that a loss in optical quality is the trigger of normal blinking.

[1]  R. Navarro,et al.  Odd aberrations and double-pass measurements of retinal image quality. , 1995, Journal of the Optical Society of America. A, Optics, image science, and vision.

[2]  A. Bradley,et al.  Use of Retroillumination to Visualize Optical Aberrations Caused by Tear Film Break-Up , 2003, Optometry and vision science : official publication of the American Academy of Optometry.

[3]  P Cho,et al.  Tear break‐up time: clinical procedures and their effects , 1998, Ophthalmic & physiological optics : the journal of the British College of Ophthalmic Opticians.

[4]  M A Lemp,et al.  Tear physiology and dry eyes. , 1977, Survey of ophthalmology.

[5]  Ewen King-Smith,et al.  The thickness of the tear film , 2004, Current eye research.

[6]  W. Charman,et al.  The optical quality of the monochromatic retinal image as a function of focus. , 1976, The British journal of physiological optics.

[7]  Jorge L Alió,et al.  Changes in ocular aberrations after instillation of artificial tears in dry‐eye patients , 2004, Journal of cataract and refractive surgery.

[8]  C. Johnson,et al.  Effects of luminance and stimulus distance on accommodation and visual resolution. , 1976, Journal of the Optical Society of America.

[9]  Robert Montés-Micó,et al.  Dynamic changes in the tear film in dry eyes. , 2005, Investigative ophthalmology & visual science.

[10]  Ross M. Henderson,et al.  Effect of Visual Display Unit Use on Blink Rate and Tear Stability , 1991, Optometry and vision science : official publication of the American Academy of Optometry.

[11]  F. Campbell,et al.  Optical quality of the human eye , 1966, The Journal of physiology.

[12]  S. I. Brown.  Further studies on the pathophysiology of keratitis sicca of Rollet. , 1970, Archives of ophthalmology.

[13]  A. Guirao,et al.  A Method to Predict Refractive Errors from Wave Aberration Data , 2003, Optometry and vision science : official publication of the American Academy of Optometry.

[14]  D. Lara-Saucedo,et al.  Aberrations of the Human Eye in Visible and Near Infrared Illumination , 2003, Optometry and vision science : official publication of the American Academy of Optometry.

[15]  W. Charman,et al.  MEASUREMENT OF THE AXIAL WAVEFRONT ABERRATION OF THE HUMAN EYE , 1985, Ophthalmic & physiological optics : the journal of the British College of Ophthalmic Opticians.

[16]  P Artal,et al.  Calculations of two-dimensional foveal retinal images in real eyes. , 1990, Journal of the Optical Society of America. A, Optics and image science.

[17]  Péter Gáspár,et al.  High-speed videotopographic measurement of tear film build-up time. , 2002, Investigative ophthalmology & visual science.

[18]  Junzhong Liang,et al.  Aberrations and retinal image quality of the normal human eye. , 1997, Journal of the Optical Society of America. A, Optics, image science, and vision.

[19]  Robert Montés-Micó,et al.  Wavefront analysis of higher order aberrations in dry eye patients. , 2004, Journal of refractive surgery.

[20]  M S SMIRNOV,et al.  [Measurement of the wave aberration of the human eye]. , 1961, Biofizika.

[21]  J. Craig,et al.  Chapter 2 – Structure and function of the preocular tear film , 2002 .

[22]  Robert Montés-Micó,et al.  Temporal changes in optical quality of air-tear film interface at anterior cornea after blink. , 2004, Investigative ophthalmology & visual science.

[23]  W. T. Welford,et al.  Optical Instruments and Techniques , 1969 .

[24]  I Iglesias,et al.  Double-pass measurements of the retinal-image quality with unequal entrance and exit pupil sizes and the reversibility of the eye's optical system. , 1995, Journal of the Optical Society of America. A, Optics, image science, and vision.

[25]  Pauline Cho,et al.  Tear break‐up time: clinical procedures and their effects , 1998 .

[26]  J. Ong,et al.  VARIATION IN BLINK RATE ASSOCIATED WITH CONTACT LENS WEAR AND TASK DIFFICULTY* , 1971, American journal of optometry and archives of American Academy of Optometry.

[27]  D. Brainard,et al.  Double-pass and interferometric measures of the optical quality of the eye. , 1994, Journal of the Optical Society of America. A, Optics, image science, and vision.

[28]  Smirnov Ms.  Measurement of the wave aberration of the human eye , 1961 .

[29]  P. J. Murphy,et al.  Changes in the tear film and ocular surface from dry eye syndrome , 2004, Progress in Retinal and Eye Research.

[30]  Charman Wn,et al.  The optical quality of the monochromatic retinal image as a function of focus. , 1976 .

[31]  R Navarro,et al.  Phase transfer and point-spread function of the human eye determined by a new asymmetric double-pass method. , 1995, Journal of the Optical Society of America. A, Optics, image science, and vision.

[32]  W. Charman,et al.  Postblink changes in total and corneal ocular aberrations. , 2004, Ophthalmology.

[33]  Hugh Davson.  Physiology of the Eye , 1951 .

[34]  A. Bradley,et al.  Accuracy and precision of objective refraction from wavefront aberrations. , 2004, Journal of vision.

[35]  W. T. Welford,et al.  Aberrations of optical systems , 1986 .

[36]  H. Kasprzak,et al.  Analysis of shearing interferograms of tear film using fast fourier transforms. , 1998, Journal of biomedical optics.

[37]  Takashi Fujikado,et al.  Effect of tear film break-up on higher-order aberrations measured with wavefront sensor. , 2002, American journal of ophthalmology.

[38]  C. Radke,et al.  Deposition and Thinning of the Human Tear Film , 1996, Journal of colloid and interface science.

[39]  D. R. Iskander,et al.  The Stability of Corneal Topography in the Post-Blink Interval , 2001, Cornea.

[40]  L N Thibos,et al.  Clinical applications of the Shack-Hartmann aberrometer. , 1999, Optometry and vision science : official publication of the American Academy of Optometry.

[41]  W Neil Charman.  Ablation design in relation to spatial frequency, depth-of-focus, and age. , 2004, Journal of refractive surgery.

[42]  W N Charman,et al.  Fluctuations in accommodation: a review , 1988, Ophthalmic & physiological optics : the journal of the British College of Ophthalmic Opticians.

[43]  P R Laibson,et al.  In vivo observation of tear dynamics using fluorophotometry. , 1984, Archives of ophthalmology.

[44]  P Artal,et al.  Determination of the point-spread function of human eyes using a hybrid optical-digital method. , 1987, Journal of the Optical Society of America. A, Optics and image science.

[45]  A Bradley,et al.  Optical and visual impact of tear break-up in human eyes. , 2000, Investigative ophthalmology & visual science.

[46]  W N Charman,et al.  The prospects for super‐acuity: limits to visual performance after correction of monochromatic ocular aberration , 2003, Ophthalmic & physiological optics : the journal of the British College of Ophthalmic Opticians.

[47]  C Albarrán,et al.  Influence of the tear film on optical quality of the eye. , 1997, Contact lens & anterior eye : the journal of the British Contact Lens Association.

[48]  S. Corrsin,et al.  A surface tension gradient mechanism for driving the pre-corneal tear film after a blink. , 1974, Journal of biomechanics.