Device for measuring aberration refraction of the eye

An instrument for measuring aberration refraction of an eye having a visual axis, the instrument comprising:

• a lens system defining an instrument optical axis;
• an alignment device for aligning the visual axis of the eye with the instrument optical axis;
• a light source producing a probing beam projected through the lens system parallel to the instrument optical axis and selectably positionable partially off-set from the instrument optical axis for entering the eye parallel to the instrument optical axis at a plurality of locations on the cornea of the eye;
• and a photodetector for measuring the position of probing beam light scattered back from the retina of the eye to measure aberration refraction of the eye at a plurality of locations.

An aberration refractometer comprising:

• a) an optical beam input channel which generates parallel light rays along an optical axis at spatially defined points into an eye of a patient, either simultaneously or sequentially, including at least one light source and at least one lens;
• b) a retinal spot position-detecting channel in optical communication with the eye including at least one photodetector for recording at least one characteristic of input channel light scattered back from the retina of the eye;
• c) an eye alignment verification channel for confirming alignment of the visual axis of the eye as the patient maintains fixation with the optical axis of the input channel;
• and
• d) a fixation target channel including at least one visual target which can be adjusted manually or in an automatic fashion to simulate different focal distances and which is in optical communication with the eye.