Corneal Topography
This service is a specialism offered by Karen Lockyer Opticians.
Corneal topography, is also known as photokeratoscopy or videokeratography. This non-invasive medical imaging technique maps the surface curvature of the cornea, the outer structure of the eye.
The topology of the cornea is of critical importance in determining the quality of vision, as the cornea is responsible for around 70% of the eye's refractive power.
The three-dimensional map produced is an extremely valuable aid which can assist:
- the diagnosis and treatment of a number of eye conditions
- for planning refractive surgery (such as LASIK) and then evaluating the results
- to assess the fit of contact lenses
The procedure is carried out in seconds and is completely painless.
You are seated facing a bowl containing an illuminated pattern, in the form of a series of concentric rings. This pattern is focused on the anterior surface of your cornea and reflected back to a digital camera at the centre of the bowl.
From this reflection, the topology of the cornea is revealed by the shape taken by the reflected pattern. The necessary analysis, typically determining the position and height of several thousand points across the cornea is provided by a computer. The topographical map can be represented in a number of graphical formats, such as a sagittal map, which colour-codes the steepness of curvature according to its dioptric value.
In laymans terms the procedure is of great value for assessing eye health and for the precise fit of contact lenses.