José María Marín

An objective scatter index based on double-pass retinal images of a point source to classify cataracts.

Purpose To propose a new objective scatter index (OSI) based in the analysis of double-pass images of a point source to rank and classify cataract patients. This classification scheme is compared with a current subjective system. Methods We selected a population including a group of normal young eyes as control and patients diagnosed with cataract (grades NO2, NO3 and NO4) according to the Lens Opacities Classification System (LOCS III). For each eye, we recorded double-pass retinal images of a point source. In each patient, we determined an objective scatter index (OSI) as the ratio of the intensity at an eccentric location in the image and the central part. This index provides information on the relevant forward scatter affecting vision. Since the double-pass retinal images are affected by both ocular aberrations and intraocular scattering, an analysis was performed to show the ranges of contributions of aberrations to the OSI. Results We used the OSI values to classify each eye according to the degree of scatter. The young normal eyes of the control group had OSI values below 1, while the OSI for subjects in LOCS grade II were around 1 to 2. The use of the objective index showed some of the weakness of subjective classification schemes. In particular, several subjects initially classified independently as grade NO2 or NO3 had similar OSI values, and in some cases even higher than subjects classified as grade NO4. A new classification scheme based in OSI is proposed. Conclusions We introduced an objective index based in the analysis of double-pass retinal images to classify cataract patients. The method is robust and fully based in objective measurements; i.e., not depending on subjective decisions. This procedure could be used in combination with standard current methods to improve cataract patient surgery scheduling.

Aberration generation by contact lenses with aspheric and asymmetric surfaces

PURPOSE We explored the potential of aberration correction in the human eye by using a new generation of soft contact lenses with aspheric and asymmetric surfaces. METHODS Soft contact lens samples were designed with one asymmetrical surface (front) and one spherical (back) to produce predetermined amounts of desired pure defocus, astigmatism, trefoil, coma, and spherical aberration. Contact lens wavefront aberrations were measured ex vivo using a Fizeau-Tolanski interferometer and compared with the in vivo wavefronts obtained by subtracting the aberrations of the eye with and without the contact lenses. These second set of measurements were obtained using a Shack-Hartmann sensor. RESULTS We found that an aberration-free contact lens sample induced in the eye a small amount of residual aberration. We obtained a good match between the ex vivo and in vivo wavefront measurements for most of the samples of the contact lenses. CONCLUSIONS The aberrations generated by soft contact lenses on the eye were predictable. Rotations and translations of the contact lenses with respect to correct position on the eye were, however, the main limitation for precise correction of the ocular aberrations.

Spontaneous disappearance of Elschnig pearls after neodymium:YAG laser posterior capsulotomy

Abstract Posterior capsule opacification (PCO) from Elschnig pearl formation is a common complication of extracapsular cataract extraction. After PCO treatment by neodymium:YAG (Nd:YAG) laser posterior capsulotomy, Elschnig pearls may undergo hyperproliferation at the edge of the capsulotomy, which may close it. We have seen six eyes in five patients who presented with spontaneous disappearance of Elschnig pearls, resulting in a perfectly clear posterior capsule several years after an Nd:YAG posterior capsulotomy. Possible causes include (1) falling of pearls into the vitreous through the capsulotomy; (2) phagocytosis of pearls by macrophages; (3) cell death by apoptosis.

Spontaneous regression of Elschnig pearl posterior capsule opacification

After extracapsular cataract extraction with in-the-bag intraocular lens implantation, a 72-year-old woman had reduced visual acuity from posterior capsule opacification (PCO) resulting from Elschnig pearl proliferation. No capsulotomy was performed, and the PCO decreased spontaneously over time, improving visual acuity and leaving a clear capsule.

Comparison of the Optical Image Quality in the Periphery of Phakic and Pseudophakic Eyes

PURPOSE The natural lens may provide some compensatory optical effect in the periphery. When it is substituted by an IOL during cataract surgery, the quality of the peripheral optics will be modified. We compared the peripheral image quality in the eyes of patients with one eye implanted with a monofocal IOL and the fellow eye still with the natural precataract lens. METHODS We used a scanning peripheral Hartmann-Shack wavefront sensor to measure the central 80° of visual angle along the horizontal meridian. Twelve patients with ages ranging between 65 to 81 years were evaluated. The results of the phakic and pseudophakic eyes were compared using the spherical equivalent, astigmatism, higher order aberrations, and the Strehl ratio. The statistical differences at each angle between the two eyes were evaluated. RESULTS In the eyes implanted with IOLs, the peripheral mean spherical equivalent was slightly more myopic than in the phakic eyes, although the differences were only significant for some angles. Astigmatism increased much faster in the periphery for the pseudophakic eyes as compared with the phakic eyes. The mean values were significantly different from 9° and 17° outwards at the temporal and nasal retina, respectively. As an example, at 30°, eyes implanted with IOLs presented 1.5 diopters (D) of additional astigmatism. The higher order aberrations were not significantly different between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS Eyes implanted with monofocal IOLs present more astigmatism in the periphery than the healthy older eyes. This suggests that the crystalline lens provides a beneficial effect to partially compensate off-axis astigmatism. The degradation of the peripheral retinal image may reduce the pseudophakic patients performance in common visual tasks.

Effect of corneal aberrations on intraocular lens power calculations.

PURPOSE: To use ray tracing to determine the influence of corneal aberrations on the prediction of the optimum intraocular lens (IOL) power for implantation in normal eyes and eyes with previous laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK). SETTING: Hospital Universitario Virgen de la Arrixaca, Murcia, Spain. DESIGN: Case series. METHODS: The optimum IOL power was calculated by ray tracing using a patient‐customized eye model in cataract surgery cases. The calculation can be performed with or without inclusion of the patients corneal aberrations. Standard predictions were also generated using current state‐of‐the‐art IOL power calculation techniques. The results for all predictions were compared with the optimum IOL power after cataract surgery. RESULTS: For patients without previous LASIK (n = 18), the standard approaches and the ray‐tracing procedure gave a similar mean absolute residual error and variance. The incorporation of corneal aberrations did not improve the accuracy of the ray‐tracing prediction in these cases. For post‐LASIK patients (n = 10), the ray‐tracing prediction incorporating corneal aberrations generated the most accurate results. The difference between the prediction with and without considering corneal aberrations correlated with the amount of corneal spherical aberration (r2 = 0.82), resulting in a difference of up to 3.00 diopters in IOL power in some cases. CONCLUSIONS: Ray tracing using patient‐customized eye models was a robust procedure for IOL power calculation. The incorporation of corneal aberrations is crucial in post‐LASIK eyes, primarily because of the elevated corneal spherical aberration. Financial Disclosure: Mrs. Canovas and Dr. Artal hold a provisional patent application on the ray‐tracing procedure. Mrs. Canovas is an employee of Abbott Medical Optics Groningen B.V. No other author has a financial or proprietary interest in any material or method mentioned.

Refractive accuracy with light-adjustable intraocular lenses

Purpose To evaluate efficacy, predictability, and stability of refractive treatments using light‐adjustable intraocular lenses (IOLs). Setting University Hospital Virgen de la Arrixaca, Murcia, Spain. Design Prospective nonrandomized clinical trial. Methods Eyes with a light‐adjustable IOL (LAL) were treated with spatial intensity profiles to correct refractive errors. The effective changes in refraction in the light‐adjustable IOL after every treatment were estimated by subtracting those in the whole eye and the cornea, which were measured with a Hartmann‐Shack sensor and a corneal topographer, respectively. The refractive changes in the whole eye and light‐adjustable IOL, manifest refraction, and visual acuity were obtained after every light treatment and at the 3‐, 6‐, and 12‐month follow‐ups. Results The study enrolled 53 eyes (49 patients). Each tested light spatial pattern (5 spherical; 3 astigmatic) produced a different refractive change (P<.01). The combination of 2 light adjustments induced a maximum change in spherical power of the light‐adjustable IOL of between −1.98 diopters (D) and +2.30 D and in astigmatism of up to −2.68 D with axis errors below 9 degrees. Intersubject variability (standard deviation) ranged between 0.10 D and 0.40 D. The 2 required lock‐in procedures induced a small myopic shift (range +0.01 to +0.57 D) that depended on previous adjustments. Conclusions Light‐adjustable IOL implantation achieved accurate refractive outcomes (around emmetropia) with good uncorrected distance visual acuity, which remained stable over time. Further refinements in nomograms and in the treatment’s protocol would improve the predictability of refractive and visual outcomes with these IOLs. Financial Disclosure No author has a financial or proprietary interest in any material or method mentioned.

Three-Dimensional Cataract Crystalline Lens Imaging With Swept-Source Optical Coherence Tomography

Purpose To image, describe, and characterize different features visible in the crystalline lens of older adults with and without cataract when imaged three-dimensionally with a swept-source optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT) system. Methods We used a new SS-OCT laboratory prototype designed to enhance the visualization of the crystalline lens and imaged the entire anterior segment of both eyes in two groups of participants: patients scheduled to undergo cataract surgery, n = 17, age range 36 to 91 years old, and volunteers without visual complains, n = 14, age range 20 to 81 years old. Pre-cataract surgery patients were also clinically graded according to the Lens Opacification Classification System III. The three-dimensional location and shape of the visible opacities were compared with the clinical grading. Results Hypo- and hyperreflective features were visible in the lens of all pre-cataract surgery patients and in some of the older adults in the volunteer group. When the clinical examination revealed cortical or subcapsular cataracts, hyperreflective features were visible either in the cortex parallel to the surfaces of the lens or in the posterior pole. Other type of opacities that appeared as hyporeflective localized features were identified in the cortex of the lens. The OCT signal in the nucleus of the crystalline lens correlated with the nuclear cataract clinical grade. Conclusions A dedicated OCT is a useful tool to study in vivo the subtle opacities in the cataractous crystalline lens, revealing its position and size three-dimensionally. The use of these images allows obtaining more detailed information on the age-related changes leading to cataract.

Optical Measurement of Straylight in Eyes With Cataract

PURPOSE To measure straylight in a cohort of patients with cataract using a novel optical instrument and to correlate optical straylight values with clinical grade of cataracts and psychophysical straylight values. METHODS Measurements were performed on 53 eyes of 44 patients with cataract admitted to the ophthalmology service of the university hospital in Murcia, Spain, and 9 young volunteers with no known ophthalmic pathology. Lens opacities were classified according to the Lens Opacities Classification System Ill (LOCS III) under slit-lamp examination. Intraocular straylight was additionally assessed psychophysically using the C-Quant straylight meter (Oculus Optikgeräte GmbH, Wetzlar, Germany). RESULTS Optical measurements of the logarithm of the straylight parameter ranged from 1.01 to 2.01 (mean: 1.43 ± 0.244) in patients with cataract and 0.80 to 1.08 (mean: 0.92 ± 0.104) in healthy young volunteers. Straylight differed by a statistically significant amount among different LOCS III groups (P < .05). Moreover, the optically measured straylight parameter was positively correlated to the psychophysically estimated value (r = 0.803, P < .05). CONCLUSIONS A new compact optical instrument suitable for clinical measurements of straylight in the human eye has been developed. Optically measured straylight values were highly correlated to those that were obtained psychophysically. Optical measurement of straylight can be used for the objective classification of cataract opacities based on their optical impact. [J Refract Surg. 2016;32(12):846-850.].

Cause of Monocular Diplopia Diagnosed by Combining Double-pass Retinal Image Assessment and Hartmann-Shack Aberrometry

PURPOSE To report an advanced optical procedure developed for the diagnosis of a particular case of diplopia. METHODS This approach combined the quantification of the level of intraocular scattering by using an Objective Scatter Index provided by a double-pass instrument (Optical Quality Analysis System) with the analysis of higher order aberrations using a Hartmann-Shack wavefront sensor. RESULTS The value of the Objective Scatter Index revealed increased intraocular scattering; the Hartmann-Shack images showed the existence of an optically differentiated area at the upper region of both crystalline lenses. Simulation of retinal images computed from the wavefront maps confirmed that, under low luminance conditions, this inhomogeneous region of the lens was included in the pupil, generating a secondary image and therefore the diplopia. CONCLUSIONS This report demonstrates the potential of combining two objective optical methods to show the presence of minor lens opacities that may severely degrade quality of vision.