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Adaptive
Optics  
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This
is Be Connected. I'm David Clements. We're in the
Adaptive Optics Laboratory at the University
of Rochester. Before me lies a table roughly
10 feet square, that has dozens of tiny lenses angled
in different directions with twists and turns similar
to a game of dominos. The trail of lenses takes
you to three major points. At one end is a laser
used to take microscopic photographs, a mouthpiece
designed to hold you still and a unique looking
box with several wires attached to its exterior.
Inside that box is the heart of the technology known
as adaptive optics. The box houses what is called
a deformable mirror. This technology is currently
in use to aid astronomers. When looking into space,
the mirror can change shape to make up for refractions
of light caused by the earth's atmosphere. Right
now, vision scientist, David Williams is tailoring
Adaptive Optics technology to aid our vision down
here on earth.
"What you're looking at here is an optical system
that allows you to measure aberrations that we haven't
been able to measure before in the eye and allows
you to correct them as well. Everybody has a different
set of aberrations and this device can measure that
unique set. Much like everyone has different fingerprint
on their fingers. You can measure those with this
device and then correct them."
Previous to this development, opticians could only
look for two major types of aberrations, astigmatism
and defocus and they could never have detected anything
this quickly.
SNAP SFX
In that split second, barely longer than it takes
to blink, a well-focused beam of light has already
reflected off the patient's pupil. Based on those
reflections, this system can measure up to 60 different
deviations in the eye.
"And now the next step is to see if these aberrations
can be corrected with laser refractive surgery or
with some optical device worn on the eye, like a
contact lens and even though there are a number
of groups working on this, I don't think we know
the answer to that yet. There's every reason to
believe that ultimately we'll succeed in both those
arenas at improving vision this way."
Williams has found that the acuity of the human
is up to 20/10. This technology may someday be used
to help us attain that level of visual clarity.
For Be Connected, I'm David Clements.
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