A bio-inspired polymeric gradient refractive index (GRIN) human eye lens

A synthetic polymeric lens was designed and fabricated based on a bio-inspired, "Age=5" human eye lens design by utilizing a nanolayered polymer film-based technique. The internal refractive index distribution of an anterior and posterior GRIN lens were characterized and confirmed against...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Optics express 2012-11, Vol.20 (24), p.26746-26754
Main Authors: Ji, Shanzuo, Ponting, Michael, Lepkowicz, Richard S, Rosenberg, Armand, Flynn, Richard, Beadie, Guy, Baer, Eric
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Eyeglasses
Humans
Interferometry - methods
Polymers - chemistry
Refraction, Ocular
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Summary:A synthetic polymeric lens was designed and fabricated based on a bio-inspired, "Age=5" human eye lens design by utilizing a nanolayered polymer film-based technique. The internal refractive index distribution of an anterior and posterior GRIN lens were characterized and confirmed against design by µATR-FTIR. 3D surface topography of the fabricated aspheric anterior and posterior lenses was measured by placido-cone topography and exhibited confirmation of the desired aspheric surface shape. Furthermore, the wavefronts of aspheric posterior GRIN and PMMA lenses were measured and simulated by interferometry and Zemax software, respectively. Their results show that the gradient index distribution reduces the overall wavefront error as compared a homogenous PMMA lens of an identical geometry. Finally, the anterior and posterior GRIN lenses were assembled into a bio-inspired GRIN human eye lens through which a clear imaging was possible.
ISSN:1094-4087
1094-4087
DOI:10.1364/OE.20.026746