In-depth optical characterization of spectacle lenses for myopia progression management

Abstract

Myopia is one of the most common ocular disorders worldwide and the leading cause of visual impairment in children. The elongation of axial length in the eyes with medium and high levels of myopia can increase the risk of severe ocular pathologies that potentially lead to irreversible blindness. In recent decades, spectacle lenses have been designed, manufactured, and clinically tested to treat myopia progression and abnormal ocular growth in children. However, the optical characterization of those lenses—with and without considering the optics of myopic eyes—has not yet been comprehensively evaluated and compared. Therefore, in this paper, we quantify and compare the focusing and scattering properties of a single vision (SV) lens with two types of spectacle lenses for myopia progression management: defocus incorporated multiple segments (DIMS), and diffusion-optical technology (DOT). To investigate the focusing properties across the eccentricity of the lenses, we have developed an instrument based on spatial light modulation technology that reproduces myopic eyes’ foveal and peripheral aberrations. Our characterization showed an increased contrast and sharpness of images through the DIMS lens at the peripheral retina when inducing myopic defocus with respect to the SV and DOT lenses. On the other hand, the contrast reduction by the DOT lens strongly depends on the luminance at the pupil. The understanding of the imaging properties of the lenses achieved through our results might help optimize future spectacles designs for myopia progression management.