Adaptive optics and vision

It has long been recognised that the optical quality of the human eye is far from diffraction limited. This affects our visual acuity and severely limits the resolution at which images of the living retina can be obtained. Adaptive optics is a technique that can correct for the eye's aberrations and provide diffraction limited resolution. The origins of the technique lie in astronomy, but it was successfully adapted to the human eye just over 10 years ago. Since then there have been rapid developments in the field of adaptive optics and vision science. In vivo images of the retina can now be routinely achieved with unprecedented resolution. Sophisticated experiments can be performed to gain a deeper knowledge of the interaction of neural retinal architecture and visual perception. This article presents the theory behind adaptive optics for the human eye and reviews the developments in this field to date.     

自适应光学发展综述

自适应光学(AO)是校正动态光学波前误差的技术。本文概述了近50年来AO的发展历程,包括发展初期,“星球大战”期间美国的发展,以及在地基高分辨力成像望远镜,激光系统(特别是惯性约束聚变)以及眼科等方面的应用,此外还给出AO的发展趋势。通过引用每一项技术发展,首创者的首篇文献,给出了比较清晰的发展脉络。

     

Adaptive optics scanning system with two-zone phase filters

An adaptive confocal system employing pupil filters and two light sources has been designed, providing improved transverse resolution. Coherent transfer functions are studied to show the transfer capability at different frequencies and the limitations of the filters in obtaining clear improvements in the focal plane. Then, intensity point spread functions are analysed to reveal the dependence of the resolution on the size of the pinhole and the inner radius of the filter. An experiment has been carried out using a liquid crystal phase modulator and an artificial eye to validate the simulation results. It proves that the system with two light sources can correct the aberrations, with the basic effect of the phase modulation being to decrease the low spatial frequencies and increase the high spatial frequencies. Improvement of the transverse resolution can be achieved by sacrificing light intensity and contrast.     

自适应光学人眼像差调控及其应用

自适应光学技术能够对波前像差进行实时测量及调控。1997年,该技术被首次成功地应用于活体人眼像差的调控,并获得了接近衍射极限的高分辨力视网膜视细胞图像和传统低阶像差矫正无法达到的“超视力”。随后自适应光学技术在眼科学研究中得到迅速发展。就研究内容来看,该领域主要包括视网膜高分辨力成像和人眼像差操控与视功能研究两大方向。美国Rochester大学Williams教授和加利福利亚大学Roorda教授于2011年分别对视网膜高分辨力成像和人眼像差操控与视功能研究方向的研究作了非常全面的综述。1997年,光电所在国内率先开展人眼自适应光学技术及其应用研究,本文在简单介绍人眼自适应光学系统原理的基础上,报道了光电所在该领域近五年的主要研究进展。

     

全光路像差校正自适应光学系统中共模波前传感器标定方法研究

根据光波在介质中的传播规律,首先详细分析了全光路像差校正自适应光学系统的工作原理,然后对常规方法标定共模波前传感器后的系统校正残余误差作了分析,并从校正残余误差和操作的简易程度两个方面分析了常规方法标定共模波前传感器存在的缺点,最后针对全光路像差校正自适应光学系统的特点,提出了两种新的共模波前传感器标定方法,详细推导了两种方法标定共模波前传感器后全系统的校正残余误差.结果显示,两种方法标定共模波前传感器后,其校正残余误差只与常规方法标定共模波前传感器后系统的校正残余误差中的一种误差有关.     

高级像差对人眼成像质量和视觉的影响

定量地研究高级像差对人眼成像质量和视觉的影响对人眼像差矫正具有重要的实验和临床意义.利用Hartmann-Shack波前传感器人眼像差仪测量了正常人眼6mm瞳孔的波前像差,由波前像差计算出人眼光学系统的光学调制传递函数MTF和Strehl比率,并由MTF和视网膜空间像调制度AIM曲线计算出人眼视锐度和对比敏感度函数CSF.根据MTF和Strehl比率分析了高级像差对人眼成像质量的影响,根据视锐度和对比敏感度函数CSF分析了高级波像差对视觉的影响.研究表明Zernik前6级像差对人眼成像质量和视觉的影响是不可忽略的,更高级的像差对人眼成像质量和视觉的影响较小,甚至可以忽略.对Zemik前6级像差进行矫正,可以得到相当好的视觉.     

望远镜光学结构对自适应光学校正能力的影响分析

自适应光学系统在高分辨力成像望远镜中发挥了重要作用。自适应光学系统对于望远镜系统中的低阶像差几乎可以完全校正,但是会牺牲变形镜的校正行程量;对于中高阶像差,自适应光学系统不能完全校正,如何减小高阶残余误差是望远镜系统设计需要考虑的问题之一。本文首先分析了望远镜光学结构中的主镜结构、次镜遮拦、次镜支撑筋、主次镜装调和光学加工等静态和准静态像差情况,然后分析了这些因素如何影响自适应光学校正能力,最后给出了对望远镜光学结构的要求。     

自适应光学系统中变形镜和波前传感器共轭位置要求的分析

通过对几何光学和物理光学模型的数值计算,分析了自适应光学系统中小像差畸变波前在空间自由传播时自身的变化情况,进而给出了系统中对变形镜和波前探测器与被校正瞳面之间共轭位置关系的要求和允许范围.结果表明,波前自由传播时的变化程度决定于像差自身的类型和大小、光束的口径以及传播的距离,大口径小像差波前近距离传播时波前变化误差很小.一般来说,变形镜和波前传感器偏离被校正瞳面共轭位置距离满足菲涅尔数大于1000时,对系统校正效果的影响可以忽略.实际应用中,应该根据校正对象的特征来具体计算波前误差随传播距离的变化,从而设计波前传感器和变形镜的位置,以及选择使用4F光学系统.本文的分析可以为自适应光学系统的整体光路设计提供一定理论参考.     

基于脉动阵列的自适应光学实时波前处理机设计

针对自适应光学系统对波前处理机高计算量、高实时性的要求,本文提出了一种基于脉动阵列的自适应光学实时波前处理方法.该方法将脉动阵列的概念引入波前处理机设计,完成了波前斜率计算、复原运算和控制运算向脉动阵列的映射,合理地建立了数据的深度流水线,同时分析了以FPGA技术实现时系统的计算延时.对于48个子孔径,61单元的自适应光学系统,以一片Xilinx Virex-Ⅱ XC2V3000芯片实现了基于脉动阵列的实时波前处理机,实验测得计算延时仅8.6μs,结果表明该方法能极大地提高系统的实时性,集成度、通用性和扩展性.     

An ocular wavefront sensor based on binary phase element: design and analysis

A modal wavefront sensor for ocular aberrations exhibits two main advantages compared to a conventional Shack–Hartmann sensor. As the wavefront is detected in the Fourier plane, the method is robust against local loss of information (e.g. local opacity of ocular lens as in the case of cataract), and is not dependent on the spatial distribution of wavefront sampling. We have proposed a novel method of wavefront sensing for ocular aberrations that directly detects the strengths of Zernike aberrations. A multiplexed Fourier computer-generated hologram has been designed as the binary phase element (BPE) for the detection of second-order and higher-order ocular aberrations (HOAs). The BPE design has been validated by comparing the simulated far-field pattern with the experimental results obtained by displaying it on a spatial light modulator. Simulation results have demonstrated the simultaneous wavefront detection with an accuracy better that ～λ/30 for a measurement range of ±2.1λ with reduced cross-talk. Sensor performance is validated by performing a numerical experiment using the City data set for test waves containing second-order and HOAs and measurement errors of 0.065?µm peak-to-valley (PV) and 0.08?µm (PV) have been obtained, respectively.     

Super-resolution pupil filtering for visual performance enhancement using adaptive optics

Ocular aberration correction can significantly improve visual function of the human eye. However, even under ideal aberration correction conditions, pupil diffraction restricts the resolution of retinal images. Pupil filtering is a simple super-resolution (SR) method that can overcome this diffraction barrier. In this study, a 145-element piezoelectric deformable mirror was used as a pupil phase filter because of its programmability and high fitting accuracy. Continuous phase-only filters were designed based on Zernike polynomial series and fitted through closed-loop adaptive optics. SR results were validated using double-pass point spread function images. Contrast sensitivity was further assessed to verify the SR effect on visual function. An F-test was conducted for nested models to statistically compare different CSFs. These results indicated CSFs for the proposed SR filter were significantly higher than the diffraction correction (p < 0.05). As such, the proposed filter design could provide useful guidance for supernormal vision optical correction of the human eye.     

自适应系统中哈特曼波前传感器光斑质心的最佳标定位置

自适应光学系统中采用CCD作为哈特曼波前传感器的光斑质心位置探测器时,由于光斑的高斯宽度较小会带来大采样误差.针对该问题,本文详细分析了采样误差形成的原因,建立了采样误差、位移敏感度和开环动态范围与光斑高斯宽度、光斑位置以及子孔径大小的数学模型,提出标定时光斑质心的最佳位置是子孔径中心四像素的中心.因为在该位置处,CCD的质心探测具有闭环时采样误差为0,位移敏感度最大,且开环时动态范围最大的特点,为哈特曼波前传感器的标定方法的研究提供了理论依据.     

多层共轭自适应光学的进展与展望

该文论述了多层共轭自适应光学的原理和主要模式，波前畸变的探测与重构是多层共轭自适应光学的研究核心，文中分析了层析、定向层和多视场定向层等实现波前畸变探测与重构的方法；介绍了系统中导星的使用：总结并分析了近年来国内外在理论及实践中的研究进展和取得的成果．提出多层共轭自适应光学的发展前景．     

Calibration and performance of a pyramid wavefront sensor for the eye

We describe the calibration and performance of a pyramid wavefront sensor designed for use in a retinal imaging camera. The effect of the image modulation and the sensor binning on the measurements are explained in detail and various tests to validate the performance are described. The wavefront sensor was incorporated into an adaptive optics system that used a magnetically actuated deformable mirror, and results on static test optics are shown.     

Optimization of sensing parameters for a confocal signal-based wavefront corrector in microscopy

The accuracy of a confocal signal-based wavefront corrector depends on several parameters such as spatial variation of optical properties within the specimen, aberration magnitude and composition, time required for the correction, etc. Here, a numerical analysis has been performed with the aim to improve system performance. The goal of the search algorithm in a confocal signal-based wavefront corrector is to estimate the Zernike coefficients of the aberrations. High-magnitude aberrations show low Strehl ratios. Repeating the correction process results in higher Strehl ratios, but at the cost of increased time. An in-focus on-axis specimen results in higher Strehl ratio compared to an out-of-focus and off-optical-axis specimen. For all cases, the wavefront correction accuracy is better, when the diameter of the pinhole is chosen to be equal to that of the Airy disk. The lower limit on the pinhole size for detecting small magnitude aberrations is set by noise.     

Adaptive contrast enhancement based on histogram modification framework

ABSTRACT

An adaptive contrast enhancement method is proposed in this paper. The proposed method is based on the contrast limited adaptive histogram equalization (CLAHE) and the histogram modification framework. The predefined clip point for the clipped histogram of each block in original CLAHE may still result in excessive contrast enhancement in homogeneous regions, which gives the enhanced image an unnatural look and creates visual artifacts. By replacing the clipped histogram with a modified histogram, the proposed method achieves success in adaptively enhancing contrast in each block based on its content. In addition to this, a novel mapping function is introduced to further improve the enhanced result of histogram equalization (HE). Experiments are conducted with both visible images and infrared images to evaluate the performance of the proposed method. The results show that the proposed method gets better performance on contrast enhancement and visual quality of the enhanced results.     

哈特曼波前传感器的自动孔径搜索与匹配方法

为了使夏克-哈特曼波前传感器(SHWFS)能保证精度的同时又能获得更大的动态范围,介绍了一种用于SHWFS的自动子孔径搜索与匹配算法。该方法在实施时,先根据待测量图像计算背景阈值,然后以减阈值后的图像中心位置的一个光斑为参考光斑的参考中心,按图像的横、纵方向依次搜索其它光斑点,接着将搜索的结果拼接起来得到所有孔径的分布,最后根据两幅图像得到的各自的子孔径分布按横、纵方向平移进行配准,以达到最优的匹配结果。文中利用实验对本论文提出的方法进行了验证。结果表明,本文提出的方法能够实现SHWFS的子孔径搜索与匹配,提高哈特曼的动态范围。     

基于部分岭估计的Zernike模式法人眼波前像差重建

为了提高自适应光学系统中人眼波前像差的重建精度,进而提高自适应光学图像中的点扩散函数重建精度,提出了一种基于部分岭估计的Zernike模式前重建算法。首先,基于Zernike模式波前重建模型,分析了常用的模式系数求解方法;其次,在最小均方误差意义下,将部分岭估计的概念引入到自适应光学系统的波前重建算法中,通过确定最优岭估计参数来改善最小二乘估计的奇异性,从而抑制波前探测中测量误差的进一步被放大;最后,讨论了在波前斜率误差的影响下由两种算法所产生的误差大小。仿真实验结果表明：在波前重建算法中引入部分岭估计可有效减小模式系数的均方误差,相对于奇异值分解法减小了8%~10%,在波前探测测量误差增大的情况下,部分岭估计的波前重建精度要高于最小二乘估计法,有利于自适应光学后期中基于波前探测的图像复原研究。     

An assessment of a modern touch-screen tablet computer with reference to core physical characteristics necessary for clinical vision testing

There are a multitude of applications using modern tablet computers for vision testing that are accessible to ophthalmology patients. While these may be of potential future benefit, they are often unsupported by scientific assessment. This report investigates the pertinent physical characteristics behind one of the most common highest specification tablet computers with regard to its capacity for vision testing. We demonstrate through plotting of a gamma curve that it is feasible to produce a precise programmable range of central luminance levels on the device, even with varying background luminance levels. It may not be possible to display very low levels of contrast, but carefully using the gamma curve information allows a reasonable range of contrast sensitivity to be tested. When the screen is first powered on, it may require up to 15 min for the luminance values to stabilize. Finally, luminance of objects varies towards the edge of the screen and when viewed at an angle. However, the resulting effective contrast of objects is less variable. Details of our assessments are important to developers, users and prescribers of tablet clinical vision tests. Without awareness of such findings, these tests may never reach satisfactory levels of clinical validity and reliability.     

我国惯性约束聚变领域中的波前控制技术

在惯性约束聚变(ICF)高功率激光装置中,自适应光学波前控制技术是确保装置安全顺畅通光以及光束质量达标的关键技术之一。本文介绍了我国ICF激光装置中波前控制技术从概念的提出到大规模应用的研究和发展历程,重点介绍了在装置不同发展阶段针对装置的需求所研究和发展的关键系统技术,包括基于远场焦斑优化的爬山法波前控制技术、基于双波前传感器数据融合的全装置波前控制技术,以及旋转腔激光装置结构中基于双变形镜的全系统波前控制技术,并介绍了相关技术在装置上的应用结果。