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Updated: Jun 19, 2026
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Comparison of Agreement and Accuracy using Binocular Wavefront Optometer with Autorefractor and Phoropter
Published on: September 16, 2025
Population distribution of wavefront aberrations in the peripheral human eye
Linda Lundström1, Jörgen Gustafsson, Peter Unsbo
1Laboratorio de Optica, Universidad de Murcia, 300 71 Murcia, Spain. linda@biox.kth.se
Summary
Peripheral wavefront aberrations were studied in normal eyes using a Hartmann-Shack sensor. Astigmatism and coma increased with viewing angle, while spherical aberration decreased towards the periphery.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Optical Engineering
- Physiological Optics
Background:
- Understanding peripheral visual aberrations is crucial for accurate optical correction.
- Zernike coefficients are standard for quantifying wavefront aberrations.
- Previous studies often simplified pupil shape, potentially affecting peripheral aberration analysis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate peripheral wavefront aberrations at large off-axis angles (0°, 20°, 30°) in normal human eyes.
- To analyze the impact of different pupil quantification methods on Zernike coefficients.
- To characterize the behavior of astigmatism, coma, and spherical aberration in the nasal visual field periphery.
Main Methods:
- A laboratory-based Hartmann-Shack sensor was employed to measure wavefront aberrations.
- Data were collected from 43 normal subjects at specified nasal off-axis angles.
- Three distinct methods for quantifying aberrations over elliptical pupils were evaluated: circular aperture, stretched pupil, and internal circular aperture.
Main Results:
- Astigmatism (c(2)(2)) demonstrated a quadratic increase with horizontal viewing angle.
- Coma (c(3)(1)) showed a linear increase with the horizontal viewing angle.
- Spherical aberration (c(4)(0)) exhibited a slight decrease towards the visual periphery; no significant defocus-angle correlation was found.
Conclusions:
- Peripheral aberrations, particularly astigmatism and coma, change predictably with increasing off-axis angles.
- The method of accounting for elliptical pupil shape significantly influences the measured Zernike coefficients.
- Accurate characterization of peripheral aberrations requires careful consideration of pupil shape and quantification methodology.
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