Wavefront technology was originally developed to measure distortions that occur to light when it travels through our atmosphere and enters an optical telescope (e.g. light from a star). It is also used in laser applications for the military and the aerospace industry. This technology has now been adapted for laser vision correction. Rays of light enter the eye as flat sheets known as wave fronts. If the optical properties of the eye are perfect (which is unusual), these wave fronts exit the eye in the same manner as they entered i.e. regular, flat sheets.

When the optical system of the eye has imperfections, the wave fronts exit the eye as irregular distorted sheets of light that look much like the surface of a potato chip! This distortion of the perfect flat wavefront is known as an aberration and its measurement is made possible with an instrument called an aberrometer such as our Carl Zeiss WASCA CRS Master. The aberrometer generates a map of this distorted wavefront which is known as a wavefront map.

This wavefront map is the “fingerprint” of your eye’s individual optical defects. Each eye is unique. No two eyes are the same. Your left eye is completely different from your right and there is not another eye in the world that has your individual visual fingerprint!! Your eyes wavefront map is as individual to you as your own fingerprint or DNA. This wavefront map is digitally transferred to the Carl Zeiss MEL 80 Excimer laser which then re contours the cornea to correspond to your individual wavefront map, thus correcting your vision to an unprecedented level of accuracy.

We now have the ability to measure each eyes individual wavefront (fingerprint) and customize our laser treatment to precisely correct your particular optical aberration. Standard LASIK as done in the past would be akin to buying a suit or dress off the rack – One size fits all. Custom LASIK is like having one tailored specifically to your measurements.

Step 1 - CRS Master Reading & Analysis	Step 2 - WaveFront map generated
Step 3 - Map Transferred to Laser	Custom wavefront map is now lasered onto Cornea by Zeiss MEL 80 Laser

 

How much you see – the quantitative measure of vision as calculated on the visual charts - depends on what lower-order aberrations you have. Lower-order aberrations are also called refractive errors and include myopia, hyperopia and astigmatism. Standard LASIK treats the lower order aberrations only. Some times vision after standard LASIK can be as seen on the mage below.

How well you can see – the Qualitative measure of your vision- depends on what higher-order aberrations you have. Higher-order aberrations are irregularities other than refractive errors, and can cause such problems as decreased contrast sensitivity or night vision, glare, shadows and halos. Custom LASIK treats both lower- and higher-order aberrations.

Understanding your vision requires taking both the quantitative and qualitative measures into consideration. This is because it's possible to possess very good visual acuity yet have poor visual quality, and vice versa.

Using our Wavefront technology, it is possible to first map these aberrations and then with the help of the Zeiss CRS Master, develop a laser treatment plan to correct them. Wavefront LASIK goes beyond just correcting refractive errors to actually improving your eye's visual capabilities such that you may see better after surgery without glasses than you did with glasses or lenses before the procedure.