INTERFEROMETRIC CHARACTERIZATION OF TEAR FILM DYNAMICS

Abstract

The anterior refracting surface of the eye is the thin tear film that forms on the surface of the cornea. When a contact lens is on worn, the tear film covers the contact lens as it would a bare cornea, and is affected by the contact lens material properties. Tear film irregularity can cause both discomfort and vision quality degradation. Under normal conditions, the tear film is less than 10 microns thick and the thickness and topography change in the time between blinks. In order to both better understand the tear film, and to characterize how contact lenses affect tear film behavior, two interferometers were designed and built to separately measure tear film behavior in vitro and in vivo. An in vitro method of characterizing dynamic fluid layers applied to contact lenses mounted on mechanical substrates has been developed using a phase-shifting Twyman- Green interferometer. This interferometer continuously measures light reflected from the surface of the fluid layer, allowing precision analysis of the dynamic fluid layer. Movies showing this fluid layer behavior can be generated. The fluid behavior on the contact lens surface is measured, allowing quantitative analysis beyond what typical contact angle or visual inspection methods provide. The in vivo interferometer is a similar system, with additional modules included to provide capability for human testing. This tear film measurement allows analysis beyond capabilities of typical fluorescein visual inspection or videokeratometry and provides better sensitivity and resolution than shearing interferometry methods. The in vitro interferometer system has measured the formation and break up of fluid layers. Different fluid and contact lens material combinations have been used, and significant fluid layer properties have been observed in some cases. This dissertation discusses the design of this interferometer along with analysis methods used. Example measurement results of different contact lens are presented highlighting the capabilities of the instrument. This dissertation also provides the in vivo interferometer design, along with the considerations that must be taken when designing an interferometer for on-eye diagnostics. Discussions include accommodating eye movement, design of null optics for a range of ocular geometries, and laser emission limits for on-eye interferometry in general.