Ultra-wide-angle peripheral refraction using a laser-scanning instrument

We compared the peripheral refractive measurements of a recently proposed laser-scanning instrument with an established peripheral refractor. Two-dimensional refractive maps were obtained using both instruments for 18 young subjects with differing values of central refraction. The comparison shows a strong correlation between devices in the overlapping measurement area, with the new device extending the range of the explored retinal area to a 100-degree-diameter circular patch, compared to the 60°x35° rectangular area of the older peripheral refractor. Larger refractive maps exhibit trends that cannot be easily predicted from narrower scans. These results demonstrate that the new instrument can be a useful tool for assessing wide-angle peripheral optical data in the human eye.