The effects of automated registration on aberration measurement with the LADARWave aberrometer

To evaluate the effects of automating the registration process for wavefront measurement using the LADARWave aberrometer. Measures of interest include accuracy, repeatability, and speed of measurement.

Five separate registration images were collected for each of eight eyes of four individuals with varying iris color using the LADARWave aberrometer. Technicians manually aligned the images and the autoregistration feature was used to align the same images. Time, accuracy, and repeatability of the alignment were measured using objective techniques. The potential effect on positional error was evaluated using a retrospective reprocessing of LADARWave data from an existing sample dataset.

Autoregistration was the fastest method of alignment, from five to seven times faster than manual registration. It was also the most consistent, with the lowest pupil/limbus offset error (45 microm). Technicians averaged 48 to 91 microm. The differences in wavefronts used to generate the composite wavefront image for surgery export were 18% lower with autoregistration.

The autoregistration feature of the LADARWave aberrometer not only removes inter-technician variability, but reduces the time to perform image alignments and improves the consistency of the alignments. This helps reduce errors related to wavefront position, potentially improving outcomes.