Wide-field multi-axis aberrometer
This invention relates to optical methods and optical systems for making both on-axis and wide-field, peripheral off-axis wavefront measurements of an eye; and for designing and manufacturing wavefront-guided customized contact lens useful for myopia control. The wide-field optical instrument can comprise either (1) a multi-axis optical configuration using multiple off-axis beamlets, or (2) an instrument comprising a rotatable scanning mirror that generates off-axis probe beams.
1. A wide-field multi-axis aberrometer for simultaneously measuring on-axis and off-axis refractive properties and aberrations of an eye of a patient when looking into the aberrometer, the aberrometer comprising:
(a) a main on-axis optical path, having a horizontal central axis;
(b) an on-axis beamlet having an on-axis centerline that is coincident with the horizontal central axis of the main on-axis optical path;
wherein the on-axis beamlet comprises the following free-space optical components:
an on-axis probe beam source;
a first on-axis beamsplitter;
an on-axis front lens;
an on-axis rear lens; and
an on-axis wavefront sensor configured to receive light and measure on-axis refractions and on-axis higher-order aberrations of the eye;
wherein the on-axis centerline of the on-axis beamlet is configured to point towards the eye at an angle of incidence equal to zero degrees;
(c) an off-axis beamlet having an off-axis centerline configured to point towards the eye at an off-axis angle of incidence;
wherein the off-axis beamlet comprises the following free-space optical components:
an off-axis probe beam source;
an off-axis beamsplitter;
an off-axis front lens;
an off-axis rear lens; and
an off-axis wavefront sensor configured to receive light and measure off-axis refractions and off-axis higher-order aberrations of the eye;
wherein the off-axis beamsplitter is positioned to direct light travelling in the off-axis beamlet towards the eye at the off-axis angle of incidence;
wherein the off-axis angle of incidence of the off-axis beamlet ranges from 5 to 30 degrees, as measured angularly relative to the horizontal central axis of the main on-axis optical path;
wherein the on-axis beamlet further comprises a motorized Badal stage, comprising;
(a) an on-axis video fixation target;
(b) a second on-axis beamsplitter;
(c) the on-axis rear lens;
(d) the on-axis wavefront sensor; and
(e) a motorized stage configured to move components (a) through (d) as a unitary group; and
wherein the aberrometer further comprises:
(1) a third on-axis beamsplitter located along the main on-axis optical path;
(2) a first on-axis mirror coincident with the main on-axis optical path;
(3) a third on-axis lens coincident with the main on-axis optical path; and
(4) an on-axis alignment camera coincident with the main on-axis optical path;
wherein the third on-axis beamsplitter is located between the on-axis front lens and the on-axis rear lens;
wherein the first on-axis mirror is located between the third on-axis beamsplitter and the third on-axis lens;
wherein the third on-axis lens is located between the first on-axis mirror and the on-axis alignment camera.
2. The wide-field multi-axis aberrometer of claim 1 , further comprising four off-axis beamlets.
3. The wide-field multi-axis aberrometer of claim 1 ,
wherein the on-axis front lens and the on-axis rear lens of the on-axis beamlet are configured to form an on-axis telecentric teleobjective imaging system; and
wherein the off-axis front lens and the off-axis rear lens of the off-axis beamlet are configured to form an off-axis telecentric teleobjective imaging system.
4. The wide-field multi-axis aberrometer of claim 1 , wherein the off-axis centerline of the off-axis beamlet is rotated at θ=15° relative to the on-axis centerline of the main on-axis optical path.
5. The wide-field multi-axis aberrometer of claim 1 , wherein the on-axis front lens, the on-axis rear lens, the off-axis front lens, and the off-axis rear lens each comprise a plastic, singlet lens.
6. The wide-field multi-axis aberrometer of claim 1 , further comprising a movable video fixation target configured to move along the main on-axis optical path.
7. The wide-field multi-axis aberrometer of claim 1 , further comprising an Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) subsystem that is coincident with the main on-axis optical path.
8. The wide-field multi-axis aberrometer of claim 1 , wherein the on-axis probe beam source and the off-axis probe beam source each comprise a super-luminescent diode (SLD) emitting light at an infrared wavelength.