Jeremiah M. F. Kelly

Dynamic Contact Angle Analysis of Silicone Hydrogel Contact Lenses.

Contact angle measurements are used to infer the clinical wetting characteristics of contact lenses. Such characterization has become more commonplace since the introduction of silicone hydrogel contact lens materials, which have been associated with reduced in vivo wetting due to the inclusion of siloxane-containing components. Using consistent methodology and a single investigator, advancing and receding contact angles were measured for 11 commercially available silicone hydrogel contact lens types with a dynamic captive bubble technique employing customized, fully automated image analysis. Advancing contact angles were found to range between 20° and 72° with the lenses falling into six statistically discrete groupings. Receding contact angles fell within a narrower range, between 17° and 22°, with the lenses segregated into three groups. The relationship between these laboratory measurements and the clinical performance of the lenses requires further investigation.

A novel on-eye wettability analyzer for soft contact lenses.

Purpose. To develop novel methodology to assess two in vivo wettability parameters, contact angle and index of liquid spreading (ILS), for hydrogel contact lenses and to provide a comprehensive investigation of the measurement errors (repeatability) associated with these two parameters. Methods. A Novel On-eye Wettability Analyzer (NOWA) was constructed which delivered a drop of 0.4% sodium hyaluronate mixed with sodium fluorescein directly on to a lens surface in vivo while a two-camera digital system recorded both the resultant contact angle and liquid spreading. Ten subjects each wore a different etafilcon A lens (−0.50 DS) in the right eye for 30 min before measurement on three separate occasions. For contact angles, the coefficient of repeatability (COR) associated with three measurement conditions (image analysis COR, intrasubject COR, and intersubject COR) was determined. For ILS, the COR associated with two measurement conditions (intrasubject COR and intersubject COR) was also determined. Results. The in vivo contact angle for the etafilcon A lens was 19.8° ± 2.9° (mean ± standard deviation). COR values for contact angle were 3.2°, 5.2°, and 8.0° for image analysis, intrasubject measures, and intersubject measures, respectively. The mean ± standard deviation ILS was 2.0 ± 0.3 mm, and COR values were 0.4 and 0.8 mm for intrasubject and intersubject measures, respectively. Conclusions. This research demonstrates that it is possible to obtain hydrogel lens contact angles in vivo and to provide a new wettability parameter (ILS) with the NOWA instrumentation. The COR values obtained were considered to be acceptable. Intersubject COR values were greater than intrasubject COR values for both contact angle and ILS; this is likely to be due to greater variability of tear film characteristics between subjects than within an individual. The use of this novel methodology and its associated clinical parameters across a wider range of lens types in various clinical situations warrants further investigation.

Slowed dark adaptation in older eyes; effect of location

Purpose The rate of rod sensitivity recovery following a photobleach is a basic measure of the integrity of the outer retina. Rods are selectively impaired in aging and many disorders of the retina, notably Age‐Related Macular Degeneration (AMD). It is not known for certain whether the age‐related deficit is a pan‐retinal effect or if there are localised regions of impaired rod function. To address this important issue a dual arc stimulus was developed that samples sensitivity recovery in two retinal locations. Methods Arc‐shaped stimuli were presented on a black CRT screen at two locations, in the inferior visual field. Following a bleach, which was localised to the stimuli, recovery of sensitivity was measured using a modified method of adjustment technique. Neutral density filters were used to extend the luminance range of the CRT. Sensitivity recovery functions were fitted by non‐linear regression to a seven‐parameter model. Results Pairs of sensitivity recovery functions were generated from the stimuli. The cone phases of these functions were identical. The slopes of the S2 sections of the curves were steeper for the outer stimuli for both young (p < 0.001) and older (p = 0.003) observers. The difference between the two was the same for the two groups. The &agr; point was reached slightly earlier for the young observers and with the outer stimulus but neither of these effects reached statistical significance. The &bgr; point occurred earlier for the outer stimuli and this effect was statistically significant only for the older group. Conclusions The method places minimal demands on observers. The fact that rod sensitivity recovery is slowed in the older normal eye to the same extent in the two locations suggests that this deficit may be uniform across the retina. As there are localised losses in scotopic function in AMD, the technique is ideally suited to distinguishing impaired recovery dynamics due to normal ageing from those caused by disease. HighlightsRate of rod sensitivity recovery following a photobleach is a basic measure of retinal integrity.Rods can be selectively impaired in aging and diseases of the retina but it is unknown if the deficit is pan‐retinal.A dual arc stimulus was developed that samples sensitivity recovery in two retinal locations.Data suggest that although rod sensitivity recovery is slowed in the older normal eye, it is uniform across the retina.The technique could be used to distinguish between impaired sensitivity due to ageing or disease.

Test illuminant location with respect to the Planckian locus affects chromaticity shifts of real Munsell chips.

The asymmetric sequential color-matching technique was used to determine the shifts in chromaticity of real Munsell chips induced by four test illuminants. The reference illuminant was C. Illuminants green (G) and purple (P) induced shifts orthogonal to the Planckian locus, while illuminants S and A induced shifts along the Planckian locus. Vectors describing the shifts induced by A and S were quantitatively and qualitatively different from those due to G and P. The data suggest that physiological factors, influenced by the proximity of the Planckian locus, affect chromatic constancy under nonsimulated viewing conditions.

Lightness constancy and its link with cone contrast

The link between chromatic constancy (compensation for hue and saturation shifts) and lightness constancy (compensation for a change in surface reflectance) was tested theoretically by computing cone contrasts and by asymmetric matching experiments. The effect of a thin achromatic line (a frame) around the test sample was tested empirically. When the samples were outlined by the frame, lightness constancy was increased and chromatic constancy reduced (p<0.001). Changes in luminance are more likely to be compensated when the luminance contrast edge around the test stimulus is disturbed as with the addition of an achromatic frame.