Ophthalmic Laser Interferometry

If the pupil of the eye is illuminated by a collimated laser beam the light returning from the eye exhibits Newton's interference fringes. This phenomenon can be used (1) to measure fundus tissue pulsations and (2) to measure the optical length of the eye. A first series of clinical measurements of patients with angiological problems has shown a clear correlation of the interferometrically measured fundus pulsations with circulation conditions. First measurements of the optical length of human eyes indicate a very high potential precision of this new technique.