Theoretical calculation of the longitudinal spherical aberration of rigid and soft contact lenses.

Although previous investigators have attempted to calculate the longitudinal spherical aberration inherent in soft and rigid contact lenses both on and off the eye, the use of inappropriate assumptions on which to base their calculations has left the problem unresolved. In this study, the longitudinal spherical aberration of both soft and rigid contact lenses was calculated surface by surface both in air and on the eye using a two-dimensional, exact ray tracing program. The erroneous assumptions made by previous investigators were avoided by using an elliptical model for the anterior corneal surface and assuming that the posterior surfaces of soft lenses aligned exactly with the anterior corneal surface after flexure onto the eye. The results demonstrated that, with a 6-mm pupil, contact lenses induce significant levels of spherical aberration in the ocular system for soft lenses of back vertex power greater than +3.00 D or -6.00 D and for rigid lenses of powers more positive than -3.00 D. It is suggested that visual disturbance due to induced spherical aberration has not been a major clinical problem in the past because these conditions fall outside those experienced by a large proportion of the contact lens-wearing public.