Determining at least one value of ocular aberration

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method, a device and a computer program product configured to determine at least one value (328) of ocular aberration of at least one eye (112) of a user (114), and to an associated method configured to produce at least one spectacle lens for at least one eye of a user. Herein, the method comprises the steps of: a) providing input data (314), the input data (314) comprising: information (118, 126) comprising eye aberration and at least one geometric and optical characteristic of at least one eye (112) of a user (114) at a point in time (316); the method comprises the steps of: a) generating at least one piece of information (118, 128) comprising at least one geometric and optical characteristic of at least one eye (112) of the user (113) at a previous point in time (320), and b) generating output data (326) comprising at least one value (328) of an eye aberration of at least one eye (112) of the user (114), where the output data (326) is generated by using the information (118, 128) to determine an eye aberration of the at least one eye (112) of the user (113) at the previous point in time (320). The method comprises the steps of generating information (118, 126) and further information (128), wherein the information (118, 126) is captured in a manner (318) of non-ciliary muscle paralysis; and the further information (128) is captured under ciliary muscle paralysis (322) of at least one eye (112) of the user (114).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a method, an apparatus, and a computer program product configured to determine at least one value of the ocular aberration of at least one eye of a user, and to a related method configured to produce at least one spectacle lens for at least one eye of a user. Background Art

[0002] Methods and devices for determining at least one ocular aberration of at least one eye of a user are known. As commonly used, the term "ocular aberration" refers to the difference between the surface of an ideal optical wavefront and the surface of the actual optical wavefront determined for at least one eye of a user. Herein, the term "optical wavefront" refers to a surface perpendicular to the light beam along which light propagates. Within a typical human population, ocular aberration typically includes at least one second-order spherocylindrical focusing error (also known as "refractive error"), wherein, however, at least one higher-order aberration may also occur.

[0003] US2014 / 0176904 Al discloses an ophthalmic aberrometer that combines measurements of wavefront aberration and subjective refraction in a single instrument and directs both measurements to the same corneal plane. The document further discloses an ophthalmic aberrometer that employs an open field of view and subjective correction to overcome instrument myopia and ensure accurate measurement of best-corrected visual acuity in addition to measuring wavefront aberration. The document further discloses an ophthalmic aberrometer that implements an optical relay with adjustable power compensation to eliminate the need to flip multiple sets of trial lenses for defocus correction. The document further discloses an ophthalmic aberrometer that performs wavefront measurements along the viewing path of a subject's eye and is capable of accurately measuring the residual wavefront aberration after compensating for subjective refraction.

[0004] US2015 / 0335234 A1 discloses an ophthalmic device that includes an examination optical system, a drive section, two or more imaging sections, an analyzer, a memory, a position corrector, and a controller. The examination optical system examines an eye. The drive section moves the examination optical system. The imaging sections photograph the anterior chamber segment of the eye from different directions substantially simultaneously. The analyzer analyzes two or more photographic images captured substantially simultaneously by the imaging sections to obtain the three-dimensional position of the eye. The memory stores correction information in advance. The correction information is obtained based on the optical characteristics of the eyeball and is used to correct the position of the eye in the optical axis direction of the examination optical system. The position corrector corrects the three-dimensional position obtained by the analyzer based on the correction information. The controller controls the drive section based on the corrected three-dimensional position to move the examination optical system.

[0005] US2017 / 0027437 A1 discloses an optical measurement system and device for performing cataract diagnosis in a patient's eye. The optical measurement system and device include a corneal topographer subsystem, a wavefront aberrometer subsystem, and an eye structure imaging subsystem. Among them, these subsystems have a common optical axis, and each subsystem is operably coupled to other subsystems via a controller. The eye structure imaging subsystem is preferably a Fourier-domain optical coherence tomographer, and more preferably a swept-source OCT.

[0006] US2020 / 0229691 A1 discloses a method for testing a tester's eye by means of a vision testing system and a vision testing system. The vision testing system includes a first measuring device, a second topographic measuring device, a third refractive measuring device, and a processing device. The axial length (L) of the tester's eye is measured by the first measuring device, the curvature of the cornea of the eye is measured by the second measuring device, the refractive characteristics of the eye are measured by the third measuring device. Simultaneous measurements are performed on the eye using the first measuring device, the second measuring device, and the third measuring device. The measurement data of the measurement results of the first measuring device, the second measuring device, and the third measuring device are processed by the processing device. The processing device has a database with normal data, the measurement data is compared with the normal data, and the result of the comparison is issued by the processing device.

[0007] Although existing methods and devices for determining at least one value of the ocular aberration of at least one eye of a user have advantages, there is still room for improvement. In particular, it is known that non-cycloplegic autorefraction is inaccurate and not suitable for the study of refractive errors. Studies on the prevalence of refractive errors in school children based on the population have encountered difficulties because many parents and children refuse to undergo cycloplegic refraction due to blurred vision and photophobia after cycloplegia. Generally, non-cycloplegic autorefraction overestimates myopia in children with active accommodation responses and underestimates hyperopia. Therefore, it is necessary to achieve reliable non-cycloplegic autorefraction results, especially for population-based studies on childhood refractive errors and for accurate monitoring of refractive error progression in the management of childhood myopia progression.

[0008] Problems to be solved

[0009] In particular, with respect to the disclosures of US2017 / 0027437 A1 or US2020 / 0229691 A1, the object of the present invention is to provide a method, an apparatus and a computer program product configured to determine at least one value of the ocular aberration of at least one eye of a user, and to provide a related method configured to produce at least one spectacle lens for at least one eye of a user, the method, the apparatus, the computer program product and the related method at least partially overcoming the above problems of the prior art.

[0010] A specific object of the present invention is to provide a method and an apparatus configured to determine the value of the ocular aberration of one or both eyes of a user, which have high reliability, high accuracy and high repeatability compared with existing methods and apparatuses. Herein, it is desired to be able to determine the value of the ocular aberration with an accuracy of less than 0.25 diopters. In particular, it is desired to be able to determine not only the value of the second-order ocular aberration (such as refraction) with high reliability, high accuracy and high repeatability, but also the value of the higher-order ocular aberration. Summary of the Invention

[0011] This problem is solved by a method, a device and a computer program product configured to determine at least one value of the ocular aberration of at least one eye of a user and a related method configured to produce at least one spectacle lens for at least one eye of a user, the method, the device, the computer program product and the related method having the features of the independent claims. Preferred embodiments that can be implemented in a separate manner or in any combination are listed in the dependent claims and throughout the specification.

[0012] In a first aspect, the present invention relates to a method configured to determine at least one value of the ocular aberration of at least one eye of a user. Different terms may be applied in addition to the term "user", such as "subject", "person", "tester" or "spectacle wearer". As already pointed out above, the term "ocular aberration" refers to the difference between the surface of the ideal optical wavefront determined for at least one eye of a user and the surface of the actual optical wavefront. As further defined above, the term "optical wavefront" refers to a surface perpendicular to the light beam along which light propagates. Further, the term "light" refers to electromagnetic radiation within at least one of the visible spectral range or the infrared spectral range. As commonly used, the term "visible spectral range" refers to electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength of 380 nm to 780 nm, while the term "infrared spectral range" refers to electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength above 780 nm to 1000 μm, where the visible spectral range or the "near-infrared spectral range" (which refers to electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength above 780 nm to 1.5 μm) may be particularly preferred. Further, the term "light beam" relates to the propagation of light in the form of at least one ray, where the propagation direction of at least one ray is generally denoted by the term "optical path", and the optical path can be changed by at least one optical element (especially selected from mirrors, beam splitters or diffraction elements, such as gratings).

[0013] Generally, the method according to the present invention can be performed in a manual manner, where a trained eye care professional can perform the indicated steps by using a suitable device, preferably by using a device configured to determine at least one value of the ocular aberration of at least one eye of a user as disclosed elsewhere herein. However, in a particularly preferred embodiment, the method according to the present invention can be a computer-implemented method. As commonly used, the term "computer-implemented method" refers to a method involving at least one device (specifically a computer) or multiple devices (especially connected via a computer network). The multiple devices can be connected via a network by using at least one connection interface at any one of the multiple devices, especially for transmitting data. Alternatively or additionally, at least one device can be a mobile communication device, where the term "mobile communication device" refers to a portable wireless communication device configured to transmit and / or receive computer data, voice or video, especially a smart phone, a notebook, a personal digital assistant or a laptop computer. However, another device can be envisaged.

[0014] A computer-implemented method can be implemented as at least one computer program provided on a storage medium (in particular a non-transitory storage medium) carrying the computer program, whereby at least one step of the computer-implemented method, in particular at least one of steps a) or b) of the method according to the invention, preferably both steps, is performed by using the at least one computer program. Alternatively, the at least one computer program can be accessed by a device that can be adapted to execute the method via a network (such as via an internal network, via the Internet or via the cloud). In particular with respect to the invention, the method according to the invention can be executed on a programmable device configured for this purpose, such as by providing a computer program configured for this purpose.

[0015] As is commonly used, the term "determine" or any of its grammatical variants refers to a process configured to generate at least one representative result. The representative result can be determined in a process, wherein at least one step of the process can be selected from at least one of the following: a measurement step; an evaluation step; or a display step. To determine the representative result, at least one measurement can be performed. The data generated in this measurement can be evaluated. The representative result can be data retrieved during the evaluation process. The representative result can be displayed. With respect to the invention, the representative result includes output data that includes at least one value of the ocular aberration of at least one eye of the user. The result data can be displayed on at least one screen.

[0016] The method can be performed simultaneously for exactly one eye of a person. The method can be repeated in a consecutive manner for the other eye of the person. The method can further be implemented for performing simultaneously for at least one eye of a person or both eyes of a person or either eye of a person.

[0017] A method configured to determine at least one value of the ocular aberration of at least one eye of a user includes steps a) and b) below, which can be performed in a given order. However, both method step a) and method step b) can be performed simultaneously, wherein method step a) and method step b) can at least partially overlap in time. Further, one or both of method step a) and method step b) can be performed once or repeatedly. The method can include additional method steps, regardless of whether these method steps are disclosed herein.

[0018] The steps of the method according to the invention are as follows:

[0019] a) Providing input data, the input data including:

[0020] - Information that includes the ocular aberration and at least one geometric property and optical property of at least one eye of the user at a certain point in time; and

[0021] - Additional information, the additional information including at least one geometric characteristic and at least one optical characteristic of at least one eye of the user at a previous time point,

[0022] and

[0023] b) generating output data, the output data including at least one value of the ocular aberration of at least one eye of the user, wherein the output data is generated by using the information and the additional information,

[0024] wherein,

[0025] - the information is captured in a non-cycloplegic manner; and

[0026] - the additional information is captured under cycloplegia of at least one eye of the user.

[0027] The method and device according to the invention configured to determine at least one value of the ocular aberration of at least one eye of a user can preferably be used in a method configured to produce at least one spectacle lens for at least one eye of a user as described in more detail below. Based on section 3.5.2 of standard ISO 13666:2019 (hereinafter also referred to as the "standard"), the term "spectacle lens" refers to an optical lens for determining at least one ocular aberration of at least one eye of a user within the framework of the present invention, wherein the spectacle lens is carried in front of the user's eye. Generally, within a typical human population, ocular aberration includes at least one second-order spherocylindrical focusing error, also known as "refractive error". Various methods can be used to describe spherocylindrical lenses designed to correct spherocylindrical focusing errors.

[0028] As defined in Section 3.6.6 of the standard, the term "spherocylindrical lens" refers to an ophthalmic lens having spherical power and cylindrical power. Further, according to Section 3.13.1, a spherocylindrical lens is defined as an ophthalmic lens that combines parallel paraxial light rays into two separate perpendicular focal lines, whereby the ophthalmic lens has vertex power only in two principal planes. Further, according to Section 3.10.7, the term "vertex power" is defined as the reciprocal of the width of the paraxial cross-section. As further defined in Sections 3.2.12 and 3.13.2, the term "principal plane" refers to one of two perpendicular planes of an ophthalmic lens having astigmatic effect parallel to the two focal lines. In this article, the term "astigmatic effect" corresponds to "astigmatic difference", which is defined in Section 3.13.6 as the difference between the vertex power value in the second principal plane and the vertex power value in the first principal plane. Further, according to Section 3.13.7, "cylindrical power" is the algebraic difference between the refractive values of these principal planes, where the refractive value of the particular principal plane used as a reference is subtracted from the refractive value of the other principal plane, and according to Section 3.13.8, "cylindrical axis" is the direction of the principal plane of the ophthalmic lens whose vertex refractive rate is used as a reference.

[0029] As an alternative, L.N. Thibos, W. Wheeler, and D. Horner (1997), Power Vectors: An Application of Fourier Analysis to the Description and Statistical Analysis of Refractive Error [Power Vectors: An Application of Fourier Analysis to the Description and Statistical Analysis of Refractive Error], Optometry and Vision Science [Optometry and Vision Science], 74(6), pp. 367-375, proposed to describe spherocylindrical lenses in terms of the Fourier analysis of the power distribution. They pointed out that the familiar sine-squared law naturally results in a Fourier series representation having exactly three Fourier coefficients, which represent the natural parameters of a thin lens. In this article, the constant term corresponds to the mean spherical equivalent (MSE) power, while the amplitude and phase of the harmonics correspond to the power and axis of a Jackson cross-cylinder (JCC) lens, respectively. Expressing the Fourier series in rectangular form allows any spherocylindrical lens to be represented as the sum of a spherical lens and two cross-cylinders (one at the 0° axis and the other at the 45° axis). The powers of these three component lenses can be interpreted as the (x, y, z) coordinates of a vector representation of the power distribution. The power vector representation of a spherocylindrical lens can be used for numerical and graphical analysis of optometric data to solve problems involving lens combinations, comparison of different lenses, and statistical distribution of refractive errors.

[0030] According to step a), input data is provided. As is commonly used, the term "input data" refers to a set of data or a series of data that includes at least one piece of information, and the at least one piece of information is evaluated at least in part by a method, especially a computer-implemented method, particularly a method configured according to the present invention to determine at least one value of the ocular aberration of at least one eye of a user. As is further commonly used, the term "provide" or any of its grammatical deviations refers to a process configured to make at least one piece of information available for at least one method step, especially the input data for starting step a) of the method. As described in more detail below, the input data is made available for generating output data by using step b) of the method.

[0031] According to the present invention, the input data includes the following pieces of information:

[0032] - Information that includes the ocular aberration and at least one geometric and optical characteristic of at least one eye of a user at a certain point in time; and

[0033] - Additional information that includes at least one geometric and optical characteristic of at least one eye of a user at a previous point in time.

[0034] In a particularly preferred embodiment, the information includes:

[0035] - First information that is about the ocular aberration of at least one eye of a user at a certain point in time;

[0036] - Second information that is about at least one geometric and optical characteristic of at least one eye of a user at the same point in time.

[0037] Herein, the terms "first", "second", or "additional" are considered to be descriptions of elements, without specifying an order or time sequence, and do not exclude the possibility that there may be other identical elements.

[0038] Correspondingly, the first information includes at least one piece of information that refers to a specific value related to the ocular aberration of at least one eye of a user and a specific point in time. As is commonly used, the term "point in time" refers to a time value related to the moment when a specific event occurs or the moment when it is performed by a person, device, or process, either only at this time value or during a time interval that provides a representative value at this time value. Since it has been observed that the values related to the ocular aberration of at least one eye of a user do not change rapidly within a short time interval but remain unchanged for months or years, it may be sufficient to indicate the point in time used for the first information as a specific minute, hour, day, or week.

[0039] In a preferred embodiment, a specific value related to the ocular aberration of at least one eye of the user may be a measured value. As used herein, the term "measured value" indicates that a specific value related to the ocular aberration of at least one eye of the user has been captured by actually performing a measurement of the corresponding eye of the user at a specific time point by applying at least one first measuring device configured for this purpose, preferably selected from at least one of an automated refractor or a wavefront sensing device.

[0040] As commonly used, the term "automated refractor [automated refractor or autorefractor]" refers to a type of optical measuring device configured to automatically determine a measured value of the second-order ocular aberration (especially refraction) of at least one eye of the user. Herein, a computer-implemented process is used to examine the user's eye in order to generate a measured value of the second-order ocular aberration of the user's eye, especially a measured value of at least one refractive error, especially the values of spherical lens, cylindrical lens and axis. For this purpose, the reflection of a light cone having at least one wavelength in the near-infrared range can be detected to determine the size and shape of the ring on the retina. By changing the magnification until the image comes into focus, it can be determined how the eye focuses the image. This process can be repeated on at least three meridians of the eye to allow the automated refractor to calculate the refraction of the eye. However, another process may also be feasible.

[0041] As further commonly used, the term "wavefront sensing device" refers to another type of optical measuring device designated for determining the aberration of an optical wavefront, where the term generally applies to optical measuring devices that do not require interference with a reference beam without aberration. Herein, the wavefront sensing device may preferably be selected from at least one of the following: Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor, a camera for measuring at least one point spread function of an eccentric wavefront, a circular microlens array aberrometer, a pyramid wavefront sensor, a phase element-based wavefront sensor or a ray tracing aberrometer. However, another wavefront sensing device may also be feasible. In particular, the wavefront sensing device can thus be used not only to determine second-order ocular aberrations, but also to determine higher-order ocular aberrations, which refer to at least one of the third-order aberrations or higher-order aberrations of at least one eye of the user.

[0042] As is commonly used, the term "Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor" refers to a specific type of wavefront sensing device that includes an array of individual microlenses (which are commonly referred to by the term "microlenses") and a two-dimensional optical detector (such as a CCD array, a CMOS array, or a quad cell), where, when the microlenses are uniformly illuminated, the integral gradient of the incident optical wavefront over each microlens is proportional to the displacement produced by each individual microlens. In other words, the phase aberration of the incident optical wavefront can thus be approximated by a set of local tilts corresponding to these individual microlenses, where the tilts corresponding to these microlenses can also be expressed by the term "decentration". By sampling the incident optical wavefront in this way with the microlens array, the incident optical wavefront can thus be at least partially, preferably completely, reconstructed by measuring the local decentration of each individual microlens within the microlens array.

[0043] Furthermore, the second information includes at least one additional piece of information related to at least one geometric and optical characteristic of at least one of the user's eyes and the same point in time. As is commonly used, the term "same point in time" refers to a time value associated with a specific event that occurs relative to or is performed by a person, device, or process with respect to another specific event, where the two specific events occur within the same time interval, especially in parallel or consecutively. As described above, since the values related to the ocular aberration of at least one of the user's eyes do not change rapidly within a short time interval, but rather remain constant over months or years, it may be sufficient to determine the second information within the same minute, hour, day, or week as the first information. In a preferred embodiment, the specific values related to at least one geometric and optical characteristic of at least one of the user's eyes may be measured values. Here, it is preferably possible to record both at least one measured value related to the first information and at least one measured value related to the second information by using a combined device that may include at least one first measuring device configured to generate the first information; at least one second measuring device configured to generate the second information and a third information as described in more detail below; and a processing device further configured to control both the at least one first measuring device and the at least one second measuring device. In this way, it can be ensured that the second information can actually be determined within the same point in time as the first information, especially in a parallel or consecutive manner.

[0044] In a preferred embodiment, specific values related to at least one geometric and optical characteristic of at least one eye of a user can be measured at the same point in time by applying at least one second measuring device configured for this purpose (preferably for applying an imaging method to at least one image of at least one eye of the user). As is commonly used, the term "image" refers to a two-dimensional graphical representation of at least one object or a part thereof. As is further commonly used, the term "imaging method" refers to a process of generating a two-dimensional graphical representation of at least one object or a part thereof. Preferably, a scanning process can be applied, which includes recording a plurality of images, each image covering a partition (preferably adjacent partitions) of the object or a part of the object, such that it is possible to generate a three-dimensional graphical representation of at least one object or a part thereof by using the imaging method. In particular, at least one image can completely cover at least one eye of the user or at least a part of it including all features to be used in a model of at least one eye of the user, as will be disclosed in more detail below.

[0045] In a particularly preferred embodiment, the at least one second measuring device can be an optical coherence tomograph, which is configured to use optical coherence tomography as the imaging method. As is commonly used, the term "optical coherence tomography" (also abbreviated as "OCT") denotes an imaging method configured to generate a two-dimensional or three-dimensional record of biological tissue, in particular of an eye of the user or a part thereof, where a resolution in the micrometer range can preferably be obtained. To generate the desired record, light with a short coherence length from a radiation source is split into two parts in a beam splitter, where the first part of the light is incident on the tissue along the optical axis, where the second part of the light is guided on a reference path, and where the light reflected by the tissue is made to interfere with the reference light guided on the reference path in order to generate an interference signal. Based on the interference signal generated in this way, initially the structures along the optical axis in the tissue can be distinguished; however, the desired two-dimensional or three-dimensional record of the tissue or a section thereof can be generated by changing the optical axis on the tissue and by lateral scanning.

[0046] Preferably, the optical coherence tomography method can be selected from Fourier domain OCT or time domain OCT, wherein Fourier domain OCT, especially spectral domain OCT or swept source OCT, is particularly preferred. The term "time domain OCT" refers to the process in which the length of the reference path is changed and the intensity of the interference is continuously captured during the process, without considering the change in the spectrum of the interference. In contrast, "Fourier domain OCT" refers to the process in which the change in the spectral components of the interference is taken into account. If the change in the spectrum of the interference is simultaneously excited and captured by using a broadband radiation source, this process is called "spectral domain OCT". In contrast, in "swept source OCT", the spectral components are continuously excited and captured in time, especially by successive tuning of the frequency excitation of the radiation source.

[0047] Furthermore, the additional information includes at least one additional piece of information, which is also related to at least one geometric and optical characteristic of at least one eye of the user. However, it is related to a previous time point. As commonly used, the term "previous time point" refers to another time value before a specific time value, especially in such a way that another event has occurred earlier relative to a specific event, and the other event has occurred or has been performed by a person, device or process at the previous time point. As mentioned above, since the value related to the ocular aberration of at least one eye of the user does not change rapidly within a short time interval but remains unchanged for several months or years, it may be sufficient to use additional information related to a previous time point that has passed at least one year or at least two years but not more than five years.

[0048] In a preferred embodiment, a specific value related to at least one geometric and optical characteristic of at least one eye of a user may be a measured value that was recorded at least one year or at least two years but not more than five years ago. Herein, at least one measured value related to this additional information may preferably be recorded by using the same device or preferably the same type of device that was used to record the second information. As is commonly used, the term "same type" refers to a class of devices that operate according to the same basic principle. In this way, it can be ensured that the second information can be reliably compared with this additional information, but the corresponding measurements may be performed at different locations. For example, while this additional information may have been obtained at a previous time point under the supervision of an ophthalmologist, the second information as well as the first information may be obtained later under the supervision of an optometrist or an optician. Generally, at least one second measuring device configured to generate the second information is also configured to generate the additional information. As has been disclosed above, at least one second measuring device is configured to apply an imaging method to at least one image of at least one eye of a user, regardless of at which time point the at least one image of the at least one eye of the user was recorded. For this purpose, at least one second measuring device may be an optical coherence tomograph as described in more detail above, which is configured to use optical coherence tomography as an imaging method.

[0049] In a preferred embodiment, the second information and additional information may be represented in a model of at least one eye of the user, in particular by one of the terms "eye model" or "twin eye". As commonly used, the term "model" refers to a simulation that is configured to provide a geometric and optical representation of at least the basic characteristics of the user's eye numerically (especially for the event that at least one eye of the user is involved in fixating on a target), for processing by using a computer. As further used herein, the term "basic characteristics" refers to a part of the user's eye that covers all parts of the user's eye involved in generating an image on the retina of the user's eye. As further commonly used, the term "be represented in" refers to the order and / or form of data presentation. Herein, the second information and additional information may preferably be provided by using the geometric and optical representation of at least the basic characteristics of the eye in a specific eye model. In particular, the characteristics of the eye determined by capturing additional information may preferably be used to establish a specific model of at least one eye of the user for later use, especially for comparing the second information with the additional information. As commonly used, the term "establish" or any of its grammatical variations refers to the process of assigning at least one value to each feature of the model by using specific data, the values included in the third information herein. In this way, the simulation can be configured to provide a complete and reasonable geometric and optical representation of the visual process occurring within the user's eye, thus contributing to improving the reliability, accuracy, and repeatability of the model of at least one eye of the user compared to existing methods such as those in US2020 / 0229691A1.

[0050] In a particularly preferred embodiment, additional information regarding the ocular aberration of at least one eye of the user may have been recorded at the same previous time point at which at least one geometric and optical characteristic of at least one eye of the user has been recorded, and this additional information may be used to perform a calibration process that is configured to adapt at least one numerical parameter of the model of at least one eye of the user. For this purpose, at least one numerical parameter of the model of at least one eye of the user, as more detailedly disclosed elsewhere herein, may in particular be adapted to at least one value included in the additional information by adopting an adaptation process, especially by using a fitting program or a machine learning algorithm. However, another way of adapting at least one numerical parameter of the model of at least one eye of the user to at least one value included in the first information may also be envisaged. For calibration, advantageously, not only values of low-order ocular aberrations such as second-order aberrations can be used, but also values of at least one high-order ocular aberration, which can in particular allow for further improving the reliability, accuracy, and repeatability of ocular aberration determination.

[0051] As is further commonly used, the term "numerical representation" refers to a representation of at least one feature by assigning at least one numerical parameter to each feature. The numerical parameters related to the basic features of the user's eye, represented by a model of at least one eye of the user according to the present invention, may preferably include at least one value of each of the following:

[0052] - The axial length of at least one eye of the user;

[0053] - The anterior curvature, posterior curvature, depth, and at least one refractive index of the cornea;

[0054] - The depth of the anterior chamber and at least one refractive index of the aqueous humor in the anterior chamber;

[0055] - The anterior curvature, posterior curvature, depth, and at least one refractive index of the lens; and

[0056] - The depth of the vitreous cavity and at least one refractive index.

[0057] Herein, each of these features contributes jointly to the geometric and optical representation of the visual process by imposing a specific influence on the incident light propagating within the user's eye along the axis.

[0058] Here, each geometric value may preferably be provided relative to the axis on which the reference coordinate system is based. As used herein, the term "geometric value" is a value of a geometric extension (in particular length, width, or depth). In contrast, the value of at least one refractive index of a specific substance in at least one eye of the user, which cannot be provided relative to the axis in the coordinate system, may thus not be considered a geometric value. As is commonly used, the term "coordinate system" provides a clear reference for each spatial site in two or three spatial dimensions to be used by the model. As is further commonly used, the term "spatial site" indicates the position of each feature within the coordinate system. Preferably, the coordinate system to be used by the model of at least one eye of the user according to the present invention may be a cylindrical coordinate system. As is commonly used, a "cylindrical coordinate system" is defined by the direction of an axis in space, a specific site along the axis, and the distance from the specific site in one or two dimensions along the axis. In this way, the reference coordinate system is based on that axis. The cylindrical coordinate system is particularly preferred because the cylindrical coordinate system is adapted to the visual process occurring within the user's eye by providing an axis (commonly represented by the term "optical path") corresponding to the propagation direction of light within the user's eye. Nevertheless, it may also be feasible to use different types of coordinate systems, such as Cartesian coordinate systems or polar coordinate systems.

[0059] As is commonly known, each eye of a user includes a cornea, a lens, an anterior chamber located between the cornea and the lens, a retina, a vitreous cavity located between the lens and the retina, and a fovea. In this case, incident light first propagates along an axis through the cornea, and then through the anterior chamber, the lens, and the vitreous cavity, so that the incident light is focused to generate a desired image on the retina (especially on the fovea) to support the visual process. In an event where the user's eye participates in fixating on a target, the axis passing through the eye can generally have an intersection with the retina at the fovea.

[0060] As is commonly used, the value of "axial length" indicates the distance between the first intersection of the anterior curvature of the cornea and the axis and the second intersection of the retina and the axis. As is further commonly used, the value of "anterior curvature of the cornea" indicates the amount by which the outward-facing surface of the cornea deviates from a plane. Similarly, the value of "posterior curvature of the cornea" indicates the amount by which the inward-facing surface of the cornea deviates from a plane. In this document, the term "outward" refers to the direction of the user's line of sight, while the term "inward" refers to the propagation direction of the incident light of the eye. As is further commonly used, the value of "depth of the cornea" indicates the length of the cornea along the axis. Similarly, the value of "anterior chamber depth (also abbreviated as 'ACD')" indicates the length of the anterior chamber along the axis between the cornea and the lens. As is further commonly used, the value of "anterior curvature of the lens" indicates the amount by which the outward-facing surface of the lens deviates from a plane. Similarly, the value of "posterior curvature of the lens" indicates the amount by which the inward-facing surface of the lens deviates from a plane. As is further commonly used, the value of "depth of the lens" indicates the length of the lens along the axis. As is further commonly used, the value of "refractive index" indicates the amount of bending of incident light by a specific substance included in a part of at least one eye of the user (especially the cornea, the lens, the aqueous humor in the anterior chamber, or the gel-like component included in the vitreous cavity).

[0061] In a specific embodiment, the reliability, accuracy, and repeatability of the model of at least one eye of a user can be further improved by using at least one additional feature, preferably by using at least one additional feature related to the lens of at least one eye of the user. In this way, by taking into account that the lens generally exerts a major influence when refracting incident light in the user's eye, the model of the user's eye can be further improved, especially by providing a correction value for ocular aberration with an accuracy of less than 0.25 diopters.

[0062] In this specific embodiment, the model of at least one eye of the user can further include at least one value of at least one of the following:

[0063] - the tilt angle of the lens of at least one eye of the user;

[0064] - the eccentricity of the lens;

[0065] - the gradient index of the lens; or

[0066] - the retinal curvature of the retina.

[0067] Likewise, each geometric value (in particular at least one of the tilt angle or eccentricity of the lens) is provided relative to the axis on which the reference coordinate system is based.

[0068] As is commonly used, the value of the "tilt angle" indicates the rotation of the lens around the axis. As is further commonly used, the value of the "eccentricity" indicates the deviation of the optical center of the lens from the axis. As is further commonly used, the value of the "gradient refractive index" indicates the change in the refractive index of the substance included in the lens of the user's eye in a direction perpendicular to the axis. As is further commonly used, the value of the "retinal curvature" indicates the amount by which the surface of the retina configured to finally receive the incident light deviates from a plane, where, in a particular embodiment, however, if the retina can be approximated as a plane, the retinal curvature can vanish to zero.

[0069] According to step b), output data is generated, where the output data includes at least one value of the ocular aberration of at least one eye of the user. As used herein, the term "output data" refers to a set of data or a series of data including at least one piece of information, where the at least one piece of information is determined in at least one step of a method, especially a computer-implemented method, particularly a method configured to determine at least one value of the ocular aberration of at least one eye of the user according to the present invention. Herein, the output data may include representative results. In order to generate the result data, the input data may be considered, taken into account, or evaluated. As further used herein, the term "generate" or any of its grammatical variations refers to the process of producing a set of data or a series of data, particularly by using a set of initial data (specifically the input data) and applying a mathematical algorithm (such as a specific function algorithm and / or a logic algorithm, or a machine learning model) thereto. However, it may also be feasible to modify a set of initial data (specifically the input data) in other ways.

[0070] According to the present invention, the generated set of data is the output data, where the output data is generated by using the information and additional information.

[0071] In a particularly preferred embodiment, the output data can be generated by:

[0072] - comparing the second information with the additional information; and

[0073] - adjusting the first information.

[0074] As used herein, the term "comparing" or any grammatical variation thereof refers to a process that produces a result indicative of the amount of difference between at least one value included in a second piece of information and at least one corresponding value included in additional information. By way of example, each of the second piece of information and the additional information includes a value of the axial length of at least one eye of a user, where the comparing process indicates the amount by which the two corresponding values can differ from each other.

[0075] In a particularly preferred embodiment, the output data can be generated by:

[0076] - determining at least one difference between the second piece of information and the additional information; and

[0077] - adjusting the first piece of information by using the at least one difference.

[0078] As used herein, determining at least one difference between the second piece of information and the additional information can particularly include:

[0079] - determining a first value of a model of at least one eye of the user by using the second piece of information;

[0080] - determining a second value of a model of at least one eye of the user by using the additional information; and

[0081] - determining at least one difference between the first values and the second values.

[0082] As already indicated above, the additional information includes values of a plurality of information that are the same as the second information and that are related to at least one geometric characteristic and at least one optical characteristic of at least one eye of the user, wherein, however, both the second information and the additional information relate to different time points. Further, the first information and the second information are captured in a non-cycloplegic manner without applying cycloplegia to at least one eye of the user, while the additional information is captured under cycloplegia of at least one eye of the user. As is commonly known, it has been found that non-cycloplegic autorefraction is inaccurate and not suitable for the study of refractive errors. In particular, population-based studies on the prevalence of refractive errors in school children often encounter difficulties because many parents and children refuse to undergo cycloplegic refraction due to blurred vision and photophobia after cycloplegia. However, it is known that non-cycloplegic autorefraction generally overestimates myopia and underestimates hyperopia in children with an active accommodation response. Thus, the present invention allows for the capture of the first information and the second information without causing cycloplegia of at least one eye of the user and limits cycloplegia of at least one eye of the user to only the capture of the additional information. In this way, non-cycloplegic autorefraction can, in particular, be used in a reliable, accurate and reproducible manner for population-based studies on refractive errors in children and also for the monitoring of refractive error progression in the management of childhood myopia progression. When the additional information refers to a previous time point, the second information refers to a later time point, wherein these two time points can differ from each other by at least one year or at least two years but not more than five years. This difference reflects the reasonable assumption that the corresponding geometric and optical characteristics of at least one eye of the user remain unchanged during the time period represented by this difference. If in doubt, the additional information can preferably be re-recorded under cycloplegia of at least one eye of the user in order to verify this assumption or to replace the previous values included in the additional information with updated values.

[0083] As further used herein, the term "adjustment" or any grammatical deviation thereof refers to the process of modifying the values included in the first information by modifying a value that is based on at least one difference between the second information and the additional information. In this way, at least one value included in the first information can be replaced with a corrected value that is determined by taking into account the influence of the second information on the first information by considering the difference between the second information and the additional information. Herein, the accuracy of the corrected value can be less than 0.25 diopters.

[0084] In a particularly preferred embodiment, adjusting the first information by using at least one difference can include:

[0085] - Determine a modified value of the ocular aberration of at least one eye of the user at the time point using at least one difference between these first values and these second values; and

[0086] - Use the modified value of the ocular aberration of at least one eye of the user at the time point as the output data.

[0087] In this article, at least one difference between the first value and the second value may particularly include the difference in at least one refractive index of the lens of at least one eye of the user included in the second information compared with additional information.

[0088] In a preferred embodiment, additional information determined at a previous time point (which may be one to five years in advance) can be retrieved from a storage medium. In particular, the storage medium may be included by at least one of a local server, a remote server, or a cloud server. For example, the additional information has been determined under cycloplegia of at least one eye of the user, and then the ophthalmologist stores it together with the reference value of at least one eye of the user in the cloud server, and the optometrist or the dispensing optician can later retrieve the additional information from the cloud server by using the reference value of at least one eye of the user. In this way, the additional information can be stored in a safe place for several years and can be safely retrieved at any time later and from any location in the world by using a unique reference number. Additionally, the optometrist or the dispensing optician can perform additional measurements in a non-cycloplegic manner, and these additional measurements are configured to determine the first information and the second information. In all countries, depending on the regulations and requirements of national administrative authorization or approval, it may not be allowed for the optometrist or the dispensing optician to perform such measurements under cycloplegia of at least one eye of the user.

[0089] In a particularly preferred embodiment, the reliability, accuracy, and repeatability of the model of at least one eye of the user can be further improved, especially to obtain a correction value of ocular aberration with an accuracy lower than 0.25 diopters, by considering the following:

[0090] - The first information refers to the first wavelength; and

[0091] - The second information and the additional information refer to the second wavelength,

[0092] wherein the second wavelength preferably differs from the first wavelength by at least 100 nm, more preferably by at least 200 nm, and more preferably by at least 500 nm.

[0093] In this way, the model can be further improved by using the following:

[0094] - A first wavelength, which may preferably assume at least one value within the visible spectral range from 380 nm to 780 nm, such as from 400 nm to 600 nm, in particular from 500 nm to 550 nm, to represent a specific wavelength for determining the ocular aberration of at least one eye of a user, and;

[0095] - A second wavelength, which may preferably assume at least one additional value within the near-infrared spectral range from 780 nm to 1.5 μm, particularly from 800 nm to 1.2 μm, in particular approximately 1 μm, to represent an additional specific wavelength for additionally determining at least one geometric and optical characteristic of at least one eye of a user.

[0096] However, it may also be feasible to use at least one other value within at least one of the first wavelength range or the second wavelength range. For this purpose, at least one of an autorefractor or a wavefront sensing device configured to capture the first information may preferably operate at the first wavelength. Similarly, an imaging method operating at the second wavelength may preferably be applied to capture the second information and additional information.

[0097] As a result, the first information may include a value of the first refractive index of the lens of at least one eye of the user determined for the first wavelength, while both the second information and the additional information may include a value of the second refractive index of the lens of at least one eye of the user determined for the second wavelength. In particular, comparing the second information with the additional information disclosed in more detail elsewhere may additionally include adjusting the first refractive index determined for the first wavelength relative to the second refractive index determined for the second wavelength, in particular by modifying the value included in the first information with a modified value that is based on the difference in values between the first wavelength and the second wavelength. Due to the difference in values between the first wavelength and the second wavelength and due to the generally known variation of the refractive index of the lens of at least one eye of the user with respect to wavelength, the value of the second refractive index may typically be different from the value of the first refractive index. As a result, this particular embodiment allows for further improvement of the model by using a more appropriate value of the refractive index of the lens of at least one eye of the user when determining at least one of the first information, the second information, and the additional information. In this way, the refractive indices of the lens of at least one eye of the user determined for the first wavelength and the second wavelength are used to modify the eye model such that the eye model can represent the geometric and optical characteristics of at least one eye of the user at the first wavelength, at which at least one value of the first information related to the ocular aberration of at least one eye of the user can actually be determined, thereby contributing to obtaining more reliable, more accurate, and more reproducible results, where the accuracy of any correction value for the ocular aberration may be 0.25 diopters or less.

[0098] In a similar and analogous manner, it is possible not only to modify at least one refractive index of the lens, but also to modify at least one refractive index of at least one further part of at least one eye of the user (in particular the cornea, the aqueous humor in the anterior chamber or the vitreous cavity).

[0099] On the other hand, the present invention relates to a method configured to produce at least one spectacle lens for at least one eye of a user, wherein the method comprises the following steps:

[0100] (i) determining at least one value of the ocular aberration of at least one eye of the user by using a method configured to determine at least one value of the ocular aberration of at least one eye of the user as disclosed elsewhere herein; and

[0101] (ii) producing a spectacle lens by machining a lens blank, wherein machining the lens blank is based on an instruction configured to compensate for at least one value of the ocular aberration of at least one eye of the user.

[0102] In other words, producing a spectacle lens comprises machining a lens blank, wherein machining the lens blank is based on an instruction configured to compensate for at least one ocular aberration of at least one eye of the user, and wherein determining the ocular aberration of at least one eye of the user comprises the steps of a method configured to determine at least one value of the ocular aberration of at least one eye of the user as disclosed elsewhere herein.

[0103] On the other hand, the present invention relates to an apparatus configured to determine at least one value of the ocular aberration of at least one eye of a user, the apparatus preferably being configured to apply a method configured to determine at least one value of the ocular aberration of at least one eye of the user as disclosed elsewhere herein. The apparatus at least comprises:

[0104] - at least one first measuring device configured to generate information comprising the ocular aberration of at least one eye of the user;

[0105] - at least one second measuring device configured to generate information about at least one geometric and optical property or further information of at least one eye of the user; and

[0106] - a processing device configured to perform a method configured to determine at least one value of the ocular aberration of at least one eye of the user as disclosed elsewhere herein.

[0107] As described above, the device can be a combined device located at a shared location, and the combined device can include at least one first measuring device configured to generate first information; at least one second measuring device configured to generate second information and additional information; and a processing device further configured to simultaneously control at least one first measuring device and at least one second measuring device. In this way, it can be ensured that the second information can actually be determined at the same time point as the first information, especially in a parallel or continuous manner.

[0108] In another embodiment, one or more devices in the device can be located at respective locations and can include at least one communication interface configured to communicate with one or more other devices, especially with the processing device. For example, at least one first measuring device and at least one second measuring device can be a combined device located at a specific location, and the combined device can further include at least one communication interface configured to communicate with one or more processing devices that can be located at one or more different locations via at least one additional communication interface included in one or more processing devices.

[0109] Alternatively or additionally, one or more processing devices can be virtual devices located in a remote location and accessible via the Internet or the cloud. In this way, more complex algorithms that can be used when performing a method configured to determine at least one value of the ocular aberration of at least one eye of a user can be provided on demand via the Internet or the cloud. However, other types of embodiments of the device can also be feasible.

[0110] On the other hand, the present invention relates to a computer program product including instructions for causing a device configured to determine at least one value of the ocular aberration of at least one eye of a user to perform at least one of the steps of a method according to the present invention configured to determine at least one value of the ocular aberration of at least one eye of a user. For this purpose, the computer program can include instructions provided by computer program code that can execute any or all of the steps of the method described elsewhere herein, especially steps a) and b), and thus determine at least one value of the ocular aberration of at least one eye of a user when implemented on a computer or a data processing unit. Herein, the computer program code can be provided on a separate storage medium, especially on a non-transitory storage medium, such as provided on an optical disc, provided on an optical storage medium, directly provided on a computer or a processing device (especially a computer or a processing device included in a mobile communication device), or provided via a network (such as an internal network or the Internet), or provided in the cloud.

[0111] For further details regarding a device and a computer program product configured to determine at least one value of the ocular aberration of at least one eye of a user and a method for producing at least one spectacle lens for at least one eye of a user, reference may be made to a method configured to determine at least one value of the ocular aberration of at least one eye of a user as disclosed elsewhere herein.

[0112] When determining at least one ocular aberration of at least one eye of a user, the method, device and computer program product according to the invention exhibit various advantages over the prior art. In particular, compared to existing methods and devices such as those described in US2020 / 0229691 A1, these methods and the device allow the value of the ocular aberration of one or both eyes of a user to be determined with high reliability, high accuracy and high reproducibility. Additionally, these methods, the device and the computer are not only capable of determining the value of the first-order ocular aberration (such as refraction) of one or both eyes of a user with high reliability, high accuracy and high reproducibility (in particular with an accuracy of less than 0.25 diopters), but are also capable of determining the value of the higher-order ocular aberration of one or both eyes of a user.

[0113] As used herein, the terms "having", "including" or "comprising" or any grammatical variation thereof are used in a non-exclusive manner. Thus, these terms can either refer to a situation where no additional features are present in the entity described in the present context other than the features introduced by these terms, or to a situation where one or more additional features are present. As an example, the statements "A has B", "A includes B" and "A comprises B" can all refer to a situation where no other elements are present in A other than B (i.e., the situation where A consists solely and exclusively of B), or to a situation where one or more additional elements are present in entity A in addition to B, such as element C, elements C and D, or even additional elements.

[0114] As further used herein, the terms "preferably", "more preferably", "particularly", "more particularly" or similar terms are used in conjunction with optional features without restricting alternative possibilities. Thus, the features introduced by these terms are optional features and are not intended to limit the scope of the claims in any way. As will be recognized by the person skilled in the art, the invention can be carried out by using alternative features. Similarly, the features introduced by "in an embodiment of the invention" or similar expressions are intended to be optional features without any limitation regarding alternative embodiments of the invention, without any limitation regarding the scope of the invention, and without any limitation regarding the possibility of combining the features introduced in this way with other features of the invention.

[0115] In summary, the following embodiments are particularly preferred within the scope of the present invention:

[0116] Embodiment 1. A method for determining at least one value of the ocular aberration of at least one eye of a user, the method comprising the following steps:

[0117] a) Providing input data, the input data including:

[0118] - First information, the first information being about the ocular aberration of at least one eye of the user at a certain point in time;

[0119] - Second information, the second information being about at least one geometric and optical characteristic of at least one eye of the user at the same point in time; and

[0120] - Further information, the further information being about at least one geometric and optical characteristic of at least one eye of the user at a previous point in time,

[0121] and

[0122] b) Generating output data, the output data including at least one value of the ocular aberration of at least one eye of the user, wherein the output data is generated by:

[0123] - Comparing the second information with the further information; and

[0124] - Adjusting the first information,

[0125] wherein the second information and the further information are represented in a model of at least one eye of the user, the model of at least one eye of the user being based on the value of each of the following:

[0126] - The axial length of at least one eye of the user;

[0127] - The anterior curvature, posterior curvature, depth and at least one refractive index of the cornea;

[0128] - The depth of the anterior chamber and at least one refractive index of the aqueous humor in the anterior chamber;

[0129] - The anterior curvature, posterior curvature, depth and at least one refractive index of the lens; and

[0130] - The depth of the vitreous cavity and at least one refractive index

[0131] wherein each geometric value is provided with respect to the axis on which the reference coordinate system is based.

[0132] Embodiment 2. The method according to the previous embodiment, wherein the model of at least one eye of the user further includes at least one value of at least one of the following:

[0133] - the tilt angle, eccentricity, or gradient refractive index of the lens of at least one eye of the user; or

[0134] - the retinal curvature of the retina.

[0135] Example 3. The method according to any one of the preceding examples, wherein the first information is captured by applying at least one of an autorefractor or a wavefront sensing device to at least one eye of the user.

[0136] Example 4. The method according to any one of the preceding examples, wherein the second information and the additional information are captured by applying an imaging method to at least one image of at least one eye of the user.

[0137] Example 5. The method according to any one of the preceding examples, wherein the second information and the additional information are captured by applying the same imaging method to at least one image of at least one eye of the user.

[0138] Example 6. The method according to any one of the preceding examples, wherein the additional information is retrieved from a storage medium using a reference value of at least one eye of the user.

[0139] Example 7. The method according to the previous example, wherein the storage medium is included by at least one of a local server, a remote server, or a cloud server.

[0140] Example 8. The method according to any one of the preceding examples, wherein the output data is generated by:

[0141] - determining at least one difference between the second information and the additional information; and

[0142] - adjusting the first information using the at least one difference.

[0143] Example 9. The method according to the previous example, wherein determining at least one difference between the second information and the additional information includes:

[0144] - determining a first value of a model of at least one eye of the user using the second information;

[0145] - determining a second value of a model of at least one eye of the user using the additional information; and

[0146] - determining at least one difference between the first values and the second values.

[0147] Example 10. The method according to the previous example, wherein adjusting the first information by using at least one difference value includes:

[0148] - determining a modified value of the ocular aberration of at least one eye of the user at the time point by using at least one difference between these first values and these second values; and

[0149] - using the modified value of the ocular aberration of at least one eye of the user at the time point as the output data.

[0150] Example 11. The method according to any one of the previous two examples, wherein at least one difference between these first values and these second values includes a difference value of at least one refractive index of the lens of at least one eye of the user included in the second information compared with the other information.

[0151] Example 12. The method according to any one of the previous examples, wherein

[0152] - the first information refers to a first wavelength;

[0153] - the second information and the other information refer to a second wavelength,

[0154] wherein the second wavelength is different from the first wavelength.

[0155] Example 13. The method according to the previous example, wherein

[0156] - the first information includes values of at least one refractive index of at least one of the lens, cornea, aqueous humor in the anterior chamber, or vitreous cavity of at least one eye of the user determined for the first wavelength;

[0157] - the second information and the other information include values of at least one refractive index of at least one of the lens, cornea, aqueous humor in the anterior chamber, or vitreous cavity of at least one eye of the user determined for the second wavelength.

[0158] Example 14. The method according to any one of the previous two examples, wherein the first information is captured by applying at least one of an autorefractor or a wavefront sensing device operating at the first wavelength to at least one eye of the user.

[0159] Example 15. The method according to any one of the previous three examples, wherein the second information and the other information are captured by applying an imaging method operating at a second wavelength to at least one image of at least one eye of the user.

[0160] Example 16. The method according to any one of the four preceding examples, wherein comparing the second information with the additional information comprises adjusting the first refractive index determined for the first wavelength relative to a second refractive index determined for the second wavelength.

[0161] Example 17. The method according to any one of the preceding examples, wherein the first information comprises at least one of the following:

[0162] - the lower-order ocular aberration of at least one eye of the user; or

[0163] - higher-order ocular aberration.

[0164] Example 18. The method according to the preceding example, wherein the lower-order ocular aberration refers to at least one of the following:

[0165] - the spherical power of the ocular aberration of at least one eye of the user;

[0166] - the cylindrical power; or

[0167] - the axis of the cylinder.

[0168] Example 19. The method according to any one of the two preceding examples, wherein the higher-order ocular aberration refers to at least one third-order aberration of at least one eye of the user.

[0169] Example 20. The method according to any one of the preceding examples,

[0170] - wherein the first information and the second information are captured in a non-cycloplegic manner; and

[0171] - wherein the additional information is captured with the ciliary muscle of at least one eye of the user paralyzed.

[0172] Example 21. The method according to any one of the preceding examples, wherein at least one output data comprising at least one value of the ocular aberration of at least one eye of the user is displayed on a monitor.

[0173] Example 22. A method for determining at least one value of the ocular aberration of at least one eye of a user, the method comprising the steps of:

[0174] - capturing additional information with the ciliary muscle paralyzed, the additional information being at least one geometric property and optical property of at least one eye of the user at a previous time point;

[0175] - establishing a model of at least one eye of the user by using the additional information;

[0176] - Store the additional information, a model of at least one eye of the user, and reference values of at least one eye of the user;

[0177] - Capture first information in a non-cycloplegic manner, the first information being about the ocular aberration of at least one eye of the user at a certain point in time;

[0178] - Capture second information in a non-cycloplegic manner, the second information being about at least one geometric and optical property of at least one eye of the user at the same point in time; and

[0179] - Generate at least one value of the ocular aberration of at least one eye of the user by:

[0180] ○ Comparing the second information with the additional information; and

[0181] ○ Adjusting the first information,

[0182] wherein the second information and the additional information are represented in a model of at least one eye of the user, the model of at least one eye of the user being based on the value of each of the following:

[0183] - The axial length of at least one eye of the user;

[0184] - The anterior curvature, posterior curvature, depth, and at least one refractive index of the cornea;

[0185] - The depth of the anterior chamber and at least one refractive index of the aqueous humor in the anterior chamber;

[0186] - The anterior curvature, posterior curvature, depth, and at least one refractive index of the lens; and

[0187] - The depth of the vitreous cavity and at least one refractive index

[0188] wherein each geometric value is provided relative to the axis on which the reference coordinate system is based.

[0189] Example 23. A method for manufacturing at least one spectacle lens for at least one eye of a user, wherein manufacturing the spectacle lens includes processing a lens blank, wherein processing the lens blank is based on instructions configured to compensate for at least one ocular aberration of at least one eye of the user, wherein at least one value of the ocular aberration of at least one eye is determined by using the method according to any one of Examples 1 to 22.

[0190] Example 24. An apparatus for determining at least one value of the ocular aberration of at least one eye of a user, the apparatus comprising:

[0191] - At least one first measuring device configured to generate first information about the ocular aberration of at least one eye of a user;

[0192] - At least one second measuring device configured to generate at least one of second information or additional information about at least one geometric and optical property of at least one eye of the user; and

[0193] - A processing device configured to perform a method for determining at least one value of the ocular aberration of at least one eye of the user according to any one of Embodiments 1 to 22.

[0194] Embodiment 25. The device according to the previous embodiment, wherein the at least one first measuring device is selected from at least one of an autorefraction measuring device or a wavefront measuring device.

[0195] Embodiment 26. The device according to the previous embodiment, wherein the at least one first measuring device is configured to operate at a first wavelength.

[0196] Embodiment 27. The device according to any one of the previous device embodiments, wherein the at least one second measuring device is configured to apply an imaging method to at least one image of at least one eye of the user.

[0197] Embodiment 28. The device according to the previous embodiment, wherein the at least one second measuring device is an optical coherence tomograph.

[0198] Embodiment 29. The device according to the previous embodiment, wherein the at least one second measuring device is configured to operate at a second wavelength.

[0199] Embodiment 30. The device according to any one of the previous device embodiments, wherein the device further includes a monitor configured to display at least one output data including at least one value of the ocular aberration of at least one eye of the user.

[0200] Embodiment 31. The device according to any one of the previous device embodiments, wherein the processing device is further configured to retrieve the additional information from a storage medium by using a reference value of at least one eye of the user.

[0201] Embodiment 32. The device according to the previous embodiment, wherein the storage medium is included by at least one of a local server, a remote server, or a cloud server.

[0202] Example 33. The apparatus according to any one of the preceding apparatus embodiments, wherein the processing device is further configured to compare the second information with the additional information by adjusting a first refractive index determined for the first wavelength relative to a second refractive index determined for the second wavelength.

[0203] Example 34. A computer program product comprising instructions for causing an apparatus for determining at least one value of an ocular aberration of at least one eye of a user according to any one of Examples 24 to 33 to perform a method for determining at least one value of an ocular aberration of at least one eye of a user according to any one of Examples 1 to 22.

[0204] Example 35. The computer program product according to the previous embodiment, wherein the instructions cause a processing device comprised in an apparatus for determining at least one value of an ocular aberration of at least one eye of a user according to any one of Examples 24 to 33 to perform at least one step of a method for determining at least one value of an ocular aberration of at least one eye of a user according to any one of Examples 1 to 22. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0205] Other alternative features and embodiments of the present invention are more particularly disclosed in the following description of the preferred embodiments, preferably in conjunction with the dependent claims. Wherein, as will be recognized by those skilled in the art, the various alternative features may be implemented in isolation and in any feasible combination. It is emphasized here that the scope of the present invention is not limited by the preferred embodiments.

[0206] In the drawings:

[0207] Figure 1 Preferred embodiments of an apparatus configured to determine at least one value of an ocular aberration of at least one eye of a user according to the present invention are shown;

[0208] Figure 2 Preferred embodiments of a model of at least one eye of a user as used by a method configured to determine at least one value of an ocular aberration of at least one eye of a user according to the present invention are shown; and

[0209] FIG. 3 shows a preferred embodiment of a method configured to determine at least one value of an ocular aberration of at least one eye of a user according to the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0210] Figure 1 Preferred embodiments of an apparatus 110 configured to determine one or more values of an ocular aberration of one or both eyes 112 of a user 114 are schematically shown. As shown, Figure 1Exemplary device 110 includes a first measurement device 116 configured to generate first information 118 regarding the ocular aberration of one or both eyes 112 of user 114. Preferably, the first measurement device 116 may be selected from an autorefraction measurement device 120 or a wavefront measurement device 122, particularly a Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor; however, another first measurement device 116 may also be feasible. In particular, the first measurement device 116 may be configured to operate at a first wavelength λ1.

[0211] As further shown, Figure 1 Exemplary device 110 further includes a second measurement device 124 configured to generate second information 126 and / or additional information 128 regarding at least one geometric and optical characteristic of one or both eyes 112 of user 114. For this purpose, the second measurement device 124 is configured to apply an imaging method to at least one image of one or both eyes 112 of user 114. Preferably, the second measurement device 124 may be an optical coherence tomographer 130; however, another second measurement device 124 may also be feasible. In particular, the second measurement device 124 may be configured to operate at a second wavelength λ2, where the second wavelength λ2 is different from the first wavelength λ1.

[0212] As further shown, Figure 1 Exemplary device 110 further includes a processing device 132 configured to perform a method configured to determine one or more values of the ocular aberration of one or both eyes 112 of user 114 as described elsewhere herein. Additionally, the processing device 132 may further be configured to store or retrieve the additional information 128 in a storage medium 136 by using a reference value 134 of the corresponding eye 112 of user 114. As Figure 1 depicted, the storage medium 136 may preferably be included or accessible via a cloud 138. As an alternative (not depicted herein), the storage medium 136 may be included by a local server or a remote server. For the purpose of communicating with the cloud 138 or alternatively with a local server or a remote server, the device may further include or access a communication interface 140 (possibly present additionally) configured for this purpose.

[0213] Further, the processing device 132 may be configured to simultaneously control the first measuring device 116 and the second measuring device 124, in particular to enable the device 110 to determine the second information 126 at the same time point as the first information 118, especially in a parallel or sequential manner. For the purpose of the processing device 132 interacting with an examiner (especially an ophthalmologist, optometrist or dispenser), the monitor 142 and an input device (such as the keyboard 144) may be included or available to the processing device 132. Yet further, the processing device 132 may be configured to display one or more values of the ocular aberration of one or both eyes 112 of the user 114, especially on the monitor 142.

[0214] As already indicated above, the model 210 of the user's eye 112 may preferably be applied to determine one or more values of the ocular aberration of one or both eyes 112 of the user 114. Figure 2 A preferred embodiment of the model 210 is schematically shown. As described in more detail above, the model 210 constitutes a simulation that is configured to provide a geometric and optical representation of the visual processes occurring within the eye 112 of the user 114. Here, the second information 126 includes values of a plurality of information that are the same as the additional information 128 and are related to at least one geometric and optical characteristic of the eye 112 of the user 114, where, however, the additional information 128 is related to a previous time point compared to the second information 126. In addition, the first information 118 and the second information 126 are captured in a non-cycloplegic manner, while the additional information 128 was previously captured with the ciliary muscles of one or both eyes 112 of the user 114 paralyzed.

[0215] As Figure 2 shown, each eye 112 of the user 114 includes:

[0216] - a cornea 212;

[0217] - a lens 214;

[0218] - an anterior chamber 216, which is located between the cornea 212 and the lens 214;

[0219] - a retina 218;

[0220] - a vitreous cavity 219, which is located between the lens 214 and the retina 218; and

[0221] - a fovea 221,

[0222] Among them, the incident light 220 first propagates along the axis 222 through the cornea 212, then through the anterior chamber 216, the lens 214, and the vitreous cavity 219, so as to focus the incident light 220 in a manner that generates an image on the retina 218, particularly on the fovea 221, in order to support the visual process. In particular, when the user 114's eye 112 is involved in fixating on a target, the axis 222 has an intersection with the retina 218 at the fovea 221.

[0223] As Figure 2 Further shown, the model 210 of the user 114's eye 112 (particularly when the user 114's eye 112 is involved in fixating on a target) is based on the values of each of the following:

[0224] - The axial length 224 of the user 114's eye 112;

[0225] - The anterior curvature 226, posterior curvature 228, depth 230, and at least one refractive index of the cornea 212;

[0226] - The depth (ACD) 232 of the anterior chamber 216 and at least one refractive index of the aqueous humor 233 in the anterior chamber 216;

[0227] - The anterior curvature 234, posterior curvature 236, depth 238, and at least one refractive index of the lens 214; and

[0228] - The depth 242 of the gel-like component included in the vitreous cavity 219 and at least one refractive index.

[0229] Each geometric value can preferably be provided relative to the axis 222 on which the reference coordinate system 244 is based.

[0230] In addition, the model 210 of the user 114's eye 112 (particularly when the user 114's eye 112 is involved in fixating on a target) can further include the values of the following:

[0231] - The tilt angle and / or eccentricity and / or gradient refractive index of the lens 214 of the user 114's eye 112; and / or

[0232] - The retinal curvature 240 of the retina 218.

[0233] In addition, it may also be feasible to use one or more additional values of the model 210 of the user 114's eye 112. In this way, the reliability, accuracy, and repeatability of the model 210 of the user 114's eye 112 can be further improved, particularly towards improving the accuracy of the value of the ocular aberration of one or both eyes 112 of the user 114 to 0.25 diopters or less.

[0234] Figure 3 shows a preferred embodiment of a method configured to determine at least one ocular aberration of one or both eyes 112 of a user 114.

[0235] Figure 3A Schematically shows a first embodiment 310 of a method configured to determine at least one value of the ocular aberration of one or both eyes 112 of a user 114, the first embodiment having a providing step 312 according to which input data 314 is provided. As described above, the input data 314 includes:

[0236] - A first piece of information 118, which is information about the ocular aberration of the eye 112 of the user 114 at a certain time point 316 as determined in a non-cycloplegic manner 318;

[0237] - A second piece of information 126, which is information about at least one geometric and optical characteristic of the eye 112 of the user 114 at a certain time point 316 as determined in a non-cycloplegic manner 318; and

[0238] - Additional information 128, which is information about at least one geometric and optical characteristic of the eye 112 of the user 114 at a previous time point 320 as determined under cycloplegia of one or both eyes 112 of the user 114.

[0239] As Figure 3A Further shown, the first embodiment 310 of the method further has a generating step 324 according to which output data 326 is generated. The output data 326 includes at least one value 328 of the ocular aberration of one or both eyes 112 of the user 114. As described above, the output data 326 is generated by using the first information 118, the second information 126, and the additional information 128, in particular by:

[0240] - Comparing the second information 126 with the additional information 128; and

[0241] - Adjusting the first information 118.

[0242] In order to determine at least one value of the ocular aberration of one or both eyes 112 of the user 114 by using the method according to the invention, a model 210 of the eye 112 of the user 114 as disclosed in more detail above can preferably be used to represent the second information 126 and the additional information 128.

[0243] Figure 3BAnother embodiment 330 of a method is schematically shown that is configured to determine at least one value of the eye aberration of one or both eyes 112 of a user 114. This other embodiment has a first capture step 332 that includes capturing additional information 128 under cycloplegia 322, where the additional information is about at least one geometric and optical characteristic of one or both eyes 112 of the user 114 at a previous time point 320.

[0244] As Figure 3B Further shown, another embodiment 330 of the method further has an establishment step 334 that includes generating a model 210 of one or both eyes 112 of the user 114 by using the additional information 118.

[0245] Further, as Figure 3B Shown, another embodiment 330 of the method has a storage step 336 according to which the additional information 118, the parameters of the model 210 of one or both eyes 112 of the user 114, and the reference values 134 of the corresponding eyes 112 of the user 114 are stored, preferably stored in a storage medium 136 that can particularly be included or accessible via the cloud 138. As an alternative, the storage medium 136 can be included by a local or remote server.

[0246] Further, as Figure 3B Shown, another embodiment 330 of the method has a second capture step 338 that includes capturing first information 118 in a non-cycloplegic manner 318, where the first information is about the eye aberration of one or both eyes 112 of the user at a certain time point 316.

[0247] Further, as Figure 3B Shown, another embodiment 330 of the method has a third capture step 340 that includes capturing second information 126 in a non-cycloplegic manner 318, where the second information is about at least one geometric and optical characteristic of one or both eyes 112 of the user 114 at the same time point 316;

[0248] Further, as Figure 3B Shown, another embodiment 330 of the method includes a generation step 324 according to which at least one value 328 of the eye aberration of one or both eyes 112 of the user 114 is generated by:

[0249] - Comparing the second information 126 with the additional information 128; and

[0250] - Adjust the first information 118.

[0251] For other details regarding embodiments 310 and 330 of the method, reference may be made to Figure 1 the exemplary embodiments of the device 110.

[0252] List of Reference Numerals

[0253] The anterior curvature of the cornea of device 110, 226

[0254] The posterior curvature of the cornea of the eye 112, 228

[0255] The depth of the cornea of the user 114, 230

[0256] The depth of the anterior chamber of the first measuring device 116, 232

[0257] The first information 118, aqueous humor 233

[0258] The anterior curvature of the lens of the autorefractor measuring device 120, 234

[0259] The posterior curvature of the lens of the wavefront measuring device 122, 236

[0260] The depth of the lens of the second measuring device 124, 238

[0261] The second information 126, retinal curvature 240

[0262] The depth of the vitreous cavity of the additional information 128, 242

[0263] Optical coherence tomography 130, reference coordinate system 244

[0264] The first embodiment 310 of the processing device 132, method

[0265] Reference number 134, providing step 312

[0266] Storage medium 136, input data 314

[0267] Cloud 138, time point 316

[0268] Communication interface 140, non-cycloplegic mode 318

[0269] Monitor 142, previous time point 320

[0270] Keyboard 144, under cycloplegia 322

[0271] Model 210, generating step 324

[0272] 212 Cornea 326 Output data

[0273] 214 Lens 328 Value of ocular aberration of the user's eye

[0274] 216 Anterior chamber 330 Another embodiment of the method

[0275] 218 Retina 332 First capture step

[0276] 219 Vitreous cavity 334 Establishment step

[0277] 220 Incident light 336 Storage step

[0278] 221 Fovea 338 Second capture step

[0279] 222 Axis 340 Third capture step

[0280] 224 Axial length of the eye

Claims

1. A method configured to determine at least one value (328) of the ocular aberration of at least one eye (112) of a user (114), the method comprising the steps of: a) Providing input data (314), the input data (314) comprising: - Information (118, 126), the information comprising the ocular aberration and at least one geometric and optical characteristic of at least one eye (112) of a user (114) at a certain time point (316); and - Additional information (128), the additional information comprising at least one geometric and optical characteristic of at least one eye (112) of the user (113) at a previous time point (320), And b) Generating output data (326), the output data (326) comprising at least one value (328) of the ocular aberration of at least one eye (112) of the user (114), wherein the output data (326) is generated by using the information (118, 126) and the additional information (128), Characterized in that - The information (118, 126) is captured in a non-cycloplegic manner (318); and - The additional information (128) is captured under cycloplegia of at least one eye (112) of the user (114) (322).

2. The method according to the preceding claim, wherein, The information (118, 126) comprises: - First information (118), the first information being about the ocular aberration of at least one eye (112) of the user (114) at the certain time point (316); and - Second information (126), the second information being about at least one geometric and optical characteristic of at least one eye (112) of the user (114) at the same time point (316).

3. The method according to the preceding claim, wherein, The second information (126) and the additional information (128) are represented in a model (210) of at least one eye (112) of the user (114), the model (210) of at least one eye (112) of the user (114) being based on the values of each of the following: - The axial length (224) of at least one eye (112) of the user (114); - The anterior curvature (226), posterior curvature (228), depth (230) and at least one refractive index of the cornea (212); - The depth (232) of the anterior chamber (216) and at least one refractive index of the aqueous humor (233) in the anterior chamber (216); - The anterior curvature (234), posterior curvature (236), depth (238) and at least one refractive index of the lens (214); and - The depth (242) of the vitreous cavity (219) and at least one refractive index Wherein each geometric value is provided relative to an axis (222) on which a reference coordinate system (244) is based.

4. The method according to the preceding claim, wherein, The model (210) of at least one eye (112) of the user (114) further comprises at least one value of at least one of the following: - The tilt angle, eccentricity or gradient refractive index of the lens (214) of at least one eye (112) of the user (114); or - Retinal curvature (240).

5. The method according to any one of the preceding three claims, wherein, - The first information (118) is captured by applying at least one of an autorefractor (120) or a wavefront sensing device (122) to at least one eye (112) of the user (114); - The second information (126) and the additional information (128) are captured by applying an imaging method to at least one image of at least one eye (112) of the user (114); and - The additional information (128) is retrieved from a storage medium (136) by using a reference value (134) of at least one eye (112) of the user (114).

6. The method according to any one of the preceding four claims, wherein, The output data (326) is generated by: - Comparing the second information (126) with the additional information (128); and - Adjusting the first information (118).

7. The method according to the preceding claim, wherein, The output data (326) is generated by: - Determining at least one difference between the second information (126) and the additional information (128); - Adjusting the first information (118) by using the at least one difference.

8. The method according to the preceding claim, wherein, Determining the at least one difference between the second information (126) and the additional information (128) includes: - Determining a first value of a model (210) of at least one eye (112) of the user (114) by using the second information (126); - Determining a second value of a model (210) of at least one eye (112) of the user (114) by using the additional information (128); - Determining at least one difference between the first values and the second values, wherein the at least one difference between the first values and the second values includes a difference in at least one refractive index of a lens (214) of at least one eye (112) of the user (114) included in the second information (126) compared with the additional information (128), and wherein adjusting the first information (118) by using the at least one difference includes: - Using the at least one difference between the first values and the second values to determine a modified value of the ocular aberration of at least one eye (112) of the user (114) at the certain time point (316); and - Using the modified value of the ocular aberration of at least one eye (112) of the user (114) at the certain time point (316) as the output data (326).

9. The method according to any one of the preceding seven claims, wherein, - The first information (118) includes a value of a first refractive index of at least one of a lens (214), a cornea (212), aqueous humor (233) in the anterior chamber (216), or a vitreous cavity (219) of at least one eye (112) of the user (114) determined for a first wavelength; - The second information (126) and the additional information (128) include values of a second refractive index for at least one of the lens (214), the cornea (212), the aqueous humor (233) in the anterior chamber (216), or the vitreous cavity (219) of at least one eye (112) of the user (114) determined for the second wavelength, wherein the second wavelength is different from the first wavelength.

10. The method according to the preceding claim, - Among them, The first information (118) is captured by applying at least one of an autorefractor (120) or a wavefront sensing device (122) operating at the first wavelength; and - wherein, The second information (126) and the additional information (128) are captured by applying an imaging method operating at the second wavelength to at least one eye (112) of the user (114).

11. The method according to any one of the preceding two claims, wherein, Comparing the second information (126) with the additional information (130) includes adjusting the first refractive index determined for the first wavelength relative to the second refractive index determined for the second wavelength.

12. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, Displaying the at least one output data (326) including at least one value (328) of the ocular aberration of at least one eye (112) of the user (114) on a monitor (142).

13. A method configured to produce at least one spectacle lens for at least one eye (112) of a user (114), the method comprising the steps of: (i) Determining at least one value (328) of the ocular aberration of at least one eye (112) of the user (114) by using a method configured to determine at least one value (328) of the ocular aberration of at least one eye (112) of the user (114), the method comprising the steps of: a) Providing input data (314), the input data (314) including: - Information (118, 126), the information including the ocular aberration and at least one geometric and optical characteristic of at least one eye (112) of the user (114) at a certain time point (316); and - Additional information (128), the additional information including at least one geometric and optical characteristic of at least one eye (112) of the user (113) at a previous time point (320), and b) Generating output data (326), the output data (326) including at least one value (328) of the ocular aberration of at least one eye (112) of the user (114), wherein the output data (326) is generated by using the information (118, 126) and the additional information (128), (ii) Producing a spectacle lens by processing a lens blank, wherein processing the lens blank is based on an instruction configured to compensate for at least one value (328) of the at least one ocular aberration of at least one eye (112) of the user (114), characterized in that - The information (118, 126) is captured in a non-cycloplegic manner (318); and - The additional information (128) is captured under cycloplegia (322) of at least one eye (112) of the user (114).

14. An apparatus (110) configured to determine at least one value (328) of the ocular aberration of at least one eye (112) of a user (114), the apparatus (110) comprising: - At least one first measuring device (116) configured to generate information (118) about the ocular aberration of at least one eye (112) of the user (114); - At least one second measuring device (124) configured to generate at least one of the information (126) or additional information (128) about at least one geometric and optical characteristic of at least one eye (112) of the user (114); and - A processing device (132) configured to perform a method configured to determine at least one value (328) of the ocular aberration of at least one eye (112) of the user (114), the method comprising the steps of: a) Providing input data (314), the input data (314) comprising: - The information (118, 126) includes the ocular aberration and at least one geometric and optical characteristic of at least one eye (112) of the user (114) at a certain point in time (316); - And - The additional information (128) includes at least one geometric and optical characteristic of at least one eye (112) of the user (114) at a previous point in time (320), And b) Generating output data (326), the output data (326) including at least one value (328) of the ocular aberration of at least one eye (112) of the user (114), wherein the output data (326) is generated by using the information (118, 126) and the additional information (128), Characterized in that - The information (118, 126) is captured in a non-cycloplegic manner (318); and - The additional information (128) is captured under cycloplegia (322) of at least one eye (112) of the user (114).

15. The apparatus (110) according to the preceding claim, - Among them, The at least one first measuring device (116) is selected from at least one of an autorefractor (120) or a wavefront measuring device (122); - Wherein the at least one second measuring device (124) is an optical coherence tomograph (130); and - Wherein the processing device (132) is configured to retrieve the additional information (128) from a storage medium (136) by using a reference value (134) of at least one eye (112) of the user (114).

16. The apparatus (110) according to the preceding claim, - Among them, The at least one first measuring device (116) is configured to operate at a first wavelength; - Wherein the at least one second measuring device (124) is configured to operate at a second wavelength; and - wherein, the processing device (132) is configured to compare the second information (126) with the additional information (128) by adjusting a first refractive index of a substance included in a part of at least one eye (112) of the user (114) determined for the first wavelength with respect to a second refractive index of the substance included in the part of at least one eye (112) of the user (114) determined for the second wavelength.

17. A computer program product comprising instructions for causing a device configured to determine at least one value (328) of an eye aberration of at least one eye (112) of a user (114) according to any one of claims 14 to 16 to perform a method configured to determine at least one value (328) of an eye aberration of at least one eye (112) of the user (114), the method comprising the steps of: a) providing input data (314), the input data (314) comprising: - information (118, 126), the information comprising an eye aberration and at least one geometric and optical characteristic of at least one eye (112) of the user (114) at a certain time point (316); and - additional information (128), the additional information being about at least one geometric and optical characteristic of at least one eye (112) of the user (113) at a previous time point (320), and b) generating output data (326), the output data (326) comprising at least one value (328) of an eye aberration of at least one eye (112) of the user (114), wherein the output data (326) is generated by using the information (118, 126) and the additional information (128), characterized in that - the information (118, 126) is captured in a non-cycloplegic manner (318); and - the additional information (128) is captured under cycloplegia of at least one eye (112) of the user (114) (322).

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