Adaptive optics for human vision (DOE.6190)

Research:
The proposal addresses the problem of real-time correction of the acuity and accommodation of the human vision. We propose to use adaptive optics in the human eye for a higher than normal visual acuity - resulting in so-called "supernormal" vision. Traditional means of visual correction - eyeglasses and contact lenses - can treat only two static aberrations of the eye - defocus and astigmatism but cannot correct the dynamic accommodation and high-order aberrations. Aging people miss the ability to focus their eyes in the full range: the accommodation deteriorates with age. Ophthalmic patients operated for glaucoma have fixed eye lens implant, lacking normal accommodation ability. It was shown recently that the correction of the optical aberrations of the human eye will result in a very high visual acuity - so-called "supernormal" vision. Adaptive optics based on micromachined deformable mirrors (developed by the applicant in 1993-2001) have been used to demonstrate the feasibility of "supernormal" vision, but in all cases bulky breadboard setups were used to optically couple the deformable mirror to the eye. We propose to use liquid crystal adaptive optics (a technology under development in the applicant's group) directly inside the eye in the form of an implantable lens or an adaptive contact lens. This will eliminate bulky coupling optics and will lead to important benefits:

1. Dynamic correction of the accommodation of the human eye. In case of a healthy aging person, it will lead to full restoration of the visual acuity in the normal range (20 cm to infinity).
2. Dynamic correction of internal high-order aberrations of the human eye, resulting in higher than normal "supernormal" visual acuity.

More information can be found on the website of the research group.

Four companies are involved in this project.