Comparison of spectacle-lens optical quality by modulation transfer function measurements based on random-dot patterns

Abstract

We present a method for comparing the optical quality of spectacle lenses based on determining the modulation transfer function (MTF) using random-dot patterns. Furthermore, we determine the precision of the method under repeatability conditions of measurement. The experimental device is composed of a laptop computer in which the LCD monitor presents the random-dot pattern, a liquid-crystal tunable filter, the lens under test, and a charge-coupled device detector connected to its control card installed in another computer. The method proposed has major advantages: the lenses can be characterized at different wavelengths; no additional sources to illuminate the pattern are required, the monitor's lighting source itself is used; and the characteristics of the pattern can be quickly and easily modified, as we install the control software in the laptop computer. We analyze three spherical spectacle lenses (+5 D) from different manufacturers and, in terms of MTF, the greatest difference found between them is 13.7%. The uncertainty associated with this method falls within the range of 0.001 and 0.06. Given the low uncertainty values, differences found between the lenses are significant. Therefore, the method proposed is a versatile and quick technique to distinguish the optical quality of spectacle lenses from different manufacturers. © 2010 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers.