Reconstruction of the gradient refractive index of the crystalline lens with optimization methods

Abstract

This publication represents a summary of the results of the doctoral thesis Reconstruction of the Gradient Refractive Index of the Crystalline Lens presented in Universidad de Valladolid, Spain, on July, 2012. The optical properties of the crystalline lens of the eye depend on the shape of the external surfaces and on its refractive index. In humans and many other species, the refractive index of the lens is not homogeneous and there is a gradient refractive index (GRIN) that peaks around the center of the lens. To study the influence of the GRIN in the optics of the lens, a method to reconstruct the GRIN in in vitro lenses was proposed in this PhD thesis. The method was used to measure the GRIN of lenses of animal models and humans and study its changes with age or its influence on the optical properties of the lens. Also, the effect of the GRIN in the visualization of the posterior surface of the lens in Optical Coherence Tomography images was quantified.