Digital eye bank for virtual clinic trials

A method of predicting an ocular instrument's performance when used on a population, said method comprising:

• creating a plurality of digital eye models that can be used by a computer to simulate an eye's optic performance in a virtual environment by measuring a set of ocular parameters for plurality of individuals' eyes wherein each digital eye model includes data describing an individual eye's corneal surface and refractive prescription;
• storing said plurality of digital eye models in a digital eye bank wherein said plurality of digital eye models are classified according to demographics and ocular parameters of the plurality of individuals from which the digital eye models were obtained;
• and
• using said digital eye data bank and a digital model of said ocular instrument to evaluate said ocular instrument through computer simulation and thereby predict the performance of said ocular instrument when used on said population wherein said plurality of digital eye models represent an expected distribution of eye types in said population.