Tunable-Lens-Based Refractive Examination

An apparatus for determining a property of an eye, the apparatus comprising:

• a housing including a proximal port configured to receive an eye and to receive light from the eye,
• the housing further including a distal port, the proximal and distal ports together forming a visual channel from the proximal port through the distal port, the visual channel providing an open view to enable the eye to see target indicia external to and spaced away from the housing;
• a visual tunable lens configured to be mounted to the housing, to apply a variable focal power to the light from the eye, and to pass the light along an optical path;
• a wavefront sensor within the housing, the wavefront sensor being configured to receive the light from the eye via the optical path and to measure a wavefront of the light from the eye;
• a control circuit configured to adjust the variable focal power of the visual tunable lens iteratively in response to successive wavefront measurements, in closed-loop manner, to minimize a wavefront error of the light from the eye to determine an objective refractive correction for the eye,
• wherein the control circuit is further configured to adjust the variable focal power of the visual tunable lens to a subjective refractive preference of a person having the eye, the subjective refractive preference differing from the objective refractive correction;
• and
• a determination module configured to determine a property of the eye based on the objective refractive correction and the subjective refractive preference.