Spatial Light Modulation Gauges How Lenses Slow Progress of Myopia

Researchers used a spatial light modulator, shown here, illuminated by the interrogating beam, to reproduce real aberrations produced by different angles of illumination for different myopic eyes. This allowed them to rigorously analyze different types of eyeglass lenses that are used to slow myopia progression. Courtesy of Augusto Arias-Gallego/ZEISS Vision Science Lab.

WASHINGTON, D.C., May 30, 2023 — Myopia, or nearsightedness, is one of the most common ocular disorders worldwide and a leading cause of visual impairment in children. Although specialized eyeglass lenses have been clinically tested to treat myopia progression, an in-depth optical characterization of the lenses has not yet been performed.

Researchers from the ZEISS Vision Science Lab at the University of Tübingen and the University of Murcia undertook a comprehensive characterization to investigate the properties of spectacle lenses designed to slow the progress of myopia. The results of their study could help increase the efficacy of future lens designs.

Myopia is typically caused when a person’s eyes become elongated, which affects how the eyes focus on faraway objects. The condition can progress in children and teens as their bodies grow.

To reproduce pupil shape and myopic ocular aberrations, researchers developed an instrument that reproduced the aberrations in myopic eyes and enabled physical simulation of the pupil. They based their instrument on spatial light modulation (SLM) technology.

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