Reliability of Corneal and Total Wavefront Aberration Measurements With the SCHWIND Corneal and Ocular Wavefront Analyzers

PURPOSE

To evaluate the reliability of the SCHWIND Corneal and Ocular Wavefront Analyzers.

METHODS

This study comprised 115 eyes of 58 healthy volunteers (26 [44.8%] women and 32 [55.2%] men) with no corneal or lenticular pathologies and normal visual acuity. All eyes underwent three consecutive measurements by one examiner with the Corneal Wavefront Analyzer and the Ocular Wavefront Analyzer (Hartmann-Shack principle). Corneal wavefront errors were calculated using the topography data, a standard eye model, and ray tracing. The reliability was tested for 2nd, 3rd, and 4th order aberrations as mean values of the standard deviations for all measurements.

RESULTS

Mean patient age was 23±2.1 years. The mean refraction was –0.77±1.56 diopters (D) (range: +3.33 to –5.28 D). The repeatability test revealed a good reliability for both machines with a slightly better value for the Ocular Wavefront Analyzer for 3rd and 4th order higher order aberrations (P<.05, Wilcoxon test).

CONCLUSIONS

Wavefront measurements of corneal and total optical aberrations performed with the Corneal Wavefront Analyzer and the Ocular Wavefront Analyzer have good reliability. Both measurements are recommended prior to any refractive surgery treatment. [J Refract Surg. 2006;22:917-920.]

AUTHORS

From International Vision Correction Research Centre (IVCRC), Department of Ophthalmology, Ruprecht-Karls-University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.

The authors have no financial or propriety interest in the materials presented herein.

Correspondence: Mike P. Holzer, MD, Dept of Ophthalmology, Ruprecht-Karls-University of Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 400, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany. E-mail: mike.holzer@med.uni-heidelberg.de