A final grade for the course will be determined by the total number of points obtained in the midterm and final exams. Make-up examinations only will be given under extraordinary circumstances. The course introduces the student to the optical aspects of the visual process. Emphasis is on the optics of the eye, and the optical transformations that take place between cornea and retina. The course provides a foundation for the techniques and procedures of clinical refraction, and a background for the diagnosis and treatment of vision anomalies.
Reference is made throughout the course to clinical applications.
The course begins with an introduction to the visual process as a whole, and the role that optical aspects play in the process. Emphasis is on the ambient optic array, the role of reflection at surfaces, transformation of the ambient array by the optics of the eye, and the nature of the image on the retina. Ocular models and the image-forming nature of the eye are considered with emphasis on defocus blur, chromatic and spherical aberration, and the effects of the pupil. Photometry is introduced to provide an understanding of blur spread-functions and their measurement. The principles of clinical refraction, and measurement of ametropia are stressed throughout the course.