Ocular wavefront sensing is quickly being adopted as the clinical standard defining the optical properties of the eye. The recommended output is in the form of RMS wavefront error. RMS wavefront error is not well correlated with visual performance, particularly at low levels. This application defines the method of developing new metrics optical performance and defines a set of metrics which are correlated with visual performance.

A method for determining optical properties of a target, using a plurality of transmitters for transmitting signals at the target, and a plurality of receivers for detecting reflected signals from the target, comprises the steps of: a) transmitting radiation signals with a plurality of wavelengths at the target; b) detecting trace reflected radiation signals from the target; c) modulating the plurality of transmitters with a waveform for generating transmitter modulation codes; d) mixing the transmitter modulation codes with the trace reflected radiation signals to generate total signals; e) transmitting the total signals at the target; f) detecting reflected total signals from the target; g) digitizing the reflected total signals with an analog-digital converter to generate digitized signals; h) integrating the digitized signals with decoding functions to extract individual signals from the total signals; and i) determining the optical properties of the target from the individual signals.

A suite of Metlab programs accepts as input the monochromatic aberration map of aneye and produce as output multiple estimates of the ideal ophthalmic prescription for correction defocus (myopia or hyperopia) and astigmatism using spectacles, contact lenses, or refractive surgery.

Keratoconus is a disease of the cornea. Detection of keratoconus is particularly important prior to laser surgery for refractive error since the inadvertent laser treatment of a keratoconus cornea can lead to a devastating surgical complication called ectasia. Keratoconus can be detected with clinical examination, and a particularly helpful clinical test for its detection is corneal topography. The clinician can identify keratoconus from a corneal topograph by qualitatively assessing the symmetry of the corneal shape. Automated keratoconus detection schema which attempt to quantify corneal symmetry have been developed. We believe that a more accurate and detailed description or corneal symmetry can be made using Zernike polynomial decomposition of the eye's wavefront abberation data. This can be done for either whole eye wavefront abberation data e.g. measured with a Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor, or wavefront abberation data calculated from corneal topography. Zernike polynomial decomposition can define asymmetry in terms of a series of shapes. We have identified which of these shapes commonly occur in kertoconus and have designed a series or metrics incorporating these shapes which can accurately discriminate between normal and keratoconus corneas. These metrics could be added to corneal topographers, or wavefront sensors to allow real-time identification of eyes with keratoconus.

A closed loop algorithm has been developed that allows the creation of custom optics. Optics capable of being produced from this algorithm includes bench top optics, contact lenses, spectacle lenses, intra-ocular lenses, corneal inlays, corneal onlays, phase retarders and other custom optics. The algorithm identifies and seamlessly integrates the necessary design, manufacture and evaluation hardware, includes custom software that allows the generation of optics with custom optical zones and edge properties for specific applications and includes custom software that integrates manufacture components. The method is applicable to the design of any optical component, and is most readily applicable to the design of customized ophthalmic optics. The application of the method is driven by experimental evidence that correction of specific optical defects in the human eye can improve visual performance. This experimental evidence was obtained using a technique where human vision was simulated via convolution in a process referred to by the inventors as 'image simulation.' This simulation process allows the identification of what optical defects are most detrimental to the image forming capability of a given eye, or a cohort of similar eyes. Once the optical defects most deleterious to visual performance are identified, the closed loop algorithm is used to implement the specific optical correction to compensate for such defects. The inventors refer to this process as 'intelligent correction.' The idea of implementing customized correction for a specific eye is not new; in fact it is done routinely in laser refractive surgery. The method described here advances customization by identifying an optimal optical surface based on simulation and applying it to contact lenses. Instead of attempting to correct all aberrations of the eye, the algorithm corrects only the optical aberrations that are detrimental to visual performance and allowing for typical lens movements/misalignments. Method allows the theoretical promise of custom ophthalmic optics to be realized in practice. The theoretical basis and experimental proof used to guide the development of this method demonstrates advancement in the topic of customized contact lens design and manufacture.

We desired and fabricated artificial domain structures of multilayered ferroelectric thin films for electrically tuning dielectric constant and refractive index for making various optoelectronic modulators such as quasi-phase match modulators, optical switches, frequency mixtures, and many others. The domain structures can be controlled from epitaxial films on onff-cut substrates.

SVEC - This invention describes a method for fabrication of ceramic optical micro-detectors and their integration with a biodegradable polymer carrier layer that can be implanted into the human eye to replace damaged retinal detectors with these bionic micro-devices.

Photovoltaic solar cells are devices for the direct conversion of sunlight in electrical energy. They use available sunlight and can be used anywhere that sunlight is incident. No other external energy source is used in the process and the cells are ecologically ideal in that they produce no waste. In principle the only limitation they face is the availability of solar radiation although the devices can also function (less efficiently) under reduced light (cloudy) conditions. This invention provides a new method for the construction of such cells based on sensitized semiconductors absorbing sunlight and producing a photocurrent. The method is simple, rapid and versatile and lends a high degree of variation making the testing of new photosensitizers possible. Results are positive.