Introduction to Adaptive Optics for Vision Science

First used in astronomy to correct for blur in ground-based telescopes due to atmospheric turbulence, adaptive optics is now used in vision science to provide diffraction limited imaging of individual retinal cells and to determine the effect of ocular aberrations on the visual acuity and accommodation control. This book provides an introduction to adaptive optics as applied to vision science. The aim is to make the topics tangible for someone completely new to the field, regardless of their discipline. It covers all main concepts including how to develop a basic system from the ground up and also includes information on the current state-of-the-art systems.

Karen Hampson is a researcher in the Bradford School of Optometry and Vision Science at Bradford University. Her primary area of research is the application of adaptive optics to vision science. She has worked in this field for 15 years and developed several adaptive optics systems from the ground up. Her interest in this area began with her PhD at Imperial College, which she completed in 2004. Her current projects include retinal imaging for detecting disease at the single cell level, and investigating how the aberrations of the eye influence focusing control in myopia. She is also secretary of the Institute of Physics Medical Physics Group and a committee member of the Optical Group.