APPLIED OPTICS

Lecture 2
Measurement of Lens Power –
The Focimeter
 MEASURING LENS POWER

• Methods
• Hand neutralisation
• Focimeter
• Vertometer
• Lensmeter
 HAND NEUTRALISATION

• Used to neutralise the power of a lens with

trial lenses in the absence of a focimeter
• Used qualitatively in many clinical and
dispensing situations
− First examination of a lens often involves
simply identifying if it is a positive, negative or
toric lens
 HAND NEUTRALISATION

• By viewing a distant cross target through the

lines whose limbs extend beyond the lens
edge
• Lens is moved up and down, and left and
right to ascertain the presence of a 'with' or an
'against' movement
− A 'with' movement is seen with negative powered
lenses
− An 'against' movement is seen with a positive
powered lens
HAND NEUTRALISATION
 PROCEDURE FOR NEUTRALISING

• View cross target at distance

• Hold unknown lens on visual axis, close to eye
• Rotate lens so that the cross target is
continuous with the outer limbs
• Move lens vertically along line of vertical limb of
target
• Determine direction of horizontal limb movement
• A 'with' movement is seen with negative
powered lenses and an 'against' movement is
seen with positive powered lenses
 PROCEDURE FOR NEUTRALISING

• 'with' movement neutralised using a positive

trial lens
• ‘against’ movement neutralised using
a negative trial
• Place trial lens flush with ‘unknown’ lens
• Trial lens power increased until no movement
• No movement = neutral
• Repeat for line of horizontal limb of target
HAND NEUTRALISATION OF TORIC
LENSES
• Considerations
• Neutralise each principal meridian of
cylindrical and sphero-cylindrical lenses
separately
• Find the principal meridians
• Rotate the lens  cross-hair lines within
the view of the lens are at right angles to
each other
HAND NEUTRALISATION OF TORIC
LENSES
 FOCIMETER

• Used to measure back or front vertex

power of a lens
• Optical centre of lens is located
• Also measures
− Spherical power
− Cylindrical power and orientation of axis
− Prism power
 FOCIMETER

• Back Vertex Power BVP  back vertex of

the lens is resting on the lens stop
• Front Vertex Power FVP  front vertex of
the lens is resting on the lens stop
• Consists of
− A focusing system and telescope viewing
system
 FUNCTIONS OF A FOCIMETER
Eyepiece

Spring Clip Table

Lens Stop

Target Rotation Dial

Optical Centre
Marker

Power
Wheel
FOCUSING SYSTEM COMPONENTS

• Light Source
• Moveable target
• Power wheel
• Standard lens (collimating lens)
• Lens stop with central aperture
• When adjusted for parallel light gives
object at infinity ()
• Viewable by telescope
 TELESCOPIC VIEWING SYSTEM

• An objective lens
• An eyepiece lens
• Graticule showing 0 to 180 degrees in 1
degree increments is positioned between
these lenses
• Eyepiece should be focussed such that
the graticule is in focus for the observer’s
unaccommodated eye
 TELESCOPIC VIEWING SYSTEM

• Focussing system sets the object of the target at

infinity which is viewable by the telescope
system
• Position of the graticule
− Makes the graticule appear to be in the same plane
as the target
− Allows the position of the target to be measured
relative to the graticule for prismatic effect
− Makes the graticule, effectively, a tangent scale, with
the ability to measure prism as well as axis
 FOCIMETER – PRINCIPLE AND
CONSTRUCTION
• For a plano lens or no lens under test
− Target is positioned at 1st principal focus (fo)
of standard lens and lens rest is positioned
at the 2nd principal focus (f’o)
• For a minus lens under test
− Target moved away from standard lens, reducing
the divergence of the light incident on the standard lens
− Convergent light exiting from the standard
lens will be rendered parallel by the lens
being tested
 FOCIMETER – PRINCIPLE AND
CONSTRUCTION
• For a plus lens under test
− Target will be moved towards standard lens,
increasing the divergence of the light incident
on the standard lens
− Divergent light exiting will be rendered parallel
by the lens being tested
 FOCIMETER – PRINCIPLE AND
CONSTRUCTION
• Zero Position
• Target at first
Telescope
principal focus
• With Negative Lens holder for
Power Lens unknown lens
• Unknown lens at
second principal
focus Standard lens
• Distance between
standard lens &
target is increased
Target
 FOCIMETER – PRINCIPLE AND
CONSTRUCTION
• With Positive
Power Lens
Telescope
• Unknown lens
at second Lens holder for
principal focus unknown lens
• Distance between
standard lens
and target is Standard lens
reduced

Target
 FOCIMETER – PRINCIPLE AND
CONSTRUCTION
x fo f’o x’

Light Source Lens holder for unknown lens

Standard lens Telescope
& Moveable Target (holding negative lens in figure)
 NEWTON’S RELATION/EQUATION

• Basis of determination of lens power

based upon the position of the target from
the standard lens

−x.x’ = f’o2
 NEWTON’S RELATION

• In case of focimeter, x’ represents −f’v, where f’v is

the second principal focal length of lens under test
x.f’v = f’o2
x = f’o2 / f’v
x = F’v / F’o2
F’v = x F’o2
• Distance travelled by the target from the 1st
principal focus of the standard lens is
− Directly related to the BVP of the lens being measured
 SAMPLE CALCULATION

Q. If a standard lens of +25.00DS is

selected, over what distance is the target
required to travel when lenses of power
20.00D are to be measured?
 SAMPLE CALCULATION

• Movement of the target from the focus (the

distance x) of the standard lens (+25D)
per dioptre is
x = 1000 / Fo2 = 1000 / (25)2 = 1000 / 625 = 1.6 mm
 SAMPLE CALCULATION

• If 20.00D is to be measured by the

focimeter, then this represents a total of 40
dioptric steps  the total target travel
required to measure the range between
20.00D is given by
− Multiplying the number of dioptric steps by the
number of millimetres per Dioptre that the
target must move
Total target travel = 40  1.6 = 64 mm
 FOCIMETER PREPARATION

• Eyepiece should be focused at each use

as the setting will vary between individuals
• Rotate the eyepiece until fully extended
from the instrument
− Graticule visible through the eyepiece will
appear blurred
 FOCIMETER PREPARATION

• Eyepiece should then be rotated in a clockwise direction

until the target crosshairs and the graticule just come
into focus
• Continued rotation of eyepiece will force observer to
accommodate in order to keep graticule in focus
• Accommodating whilst viewing the target can cause
variability in the power measurement
 FOCIMETER PREPARATION

• Calibration
− With the power wheel at the zero position, the
cross hairs and the target should be in clear
focus
− Both eyes should be open with the dominant
eye used with the eyepiece.
 FOCIMETER USE: CROSSED-LINE
TARGETS
• Insert the spectacles to measure the BVP
− Back pole of the lens should be positioned at
the lens stop
− Spectacles should be secured with the aid of
the table and the spring clamp
− Optical centre of the lens should be
positioned over the centre of the aperture of
the lens stop
DETERMINING THE LENS POWER:
SPHERICAL LENSES
• Rotate the power wheel until the lines become
clear
• Note the power on the power wheel
• If the lens power is spherical
− Both sets of lines will be clear regardless of the
position of the axis drum
DETERMINING THE LENS POWER:
SPHERICAL LENSES
• Marking the optical centre
− Check that the centre of the crosshair
coincides with the centre of the target
− When this is so, the lens is correctly
positioned and the optical centre should be
marked
DETERMINING THE LENS POWER:
SPHERICAL LENSES
• Measuring the power of the second lens
− If lens target is displaced up or down from
horizontal portion of the crosshair  there is a
vertical prismatic correction incorporated for
the two eyes
DETERMINING THE LENS POWER:
SPHERICAL LENSES
• Insert the spectacles
• Determine the
lens power
• Mark the
optical centre
• Measure the power
of the second lens
DETERMINING THE LENS POWER:
SPHERO-CYLINDRICAL LENSES
• Step 1 – Finding the sphere power
− Rotate the power wheel until one set of lines
becomes clear
− Start with the higher positive power (or lower
negative power)
− Axis drum will need to be rotated to ensure
that lines are unbroken
− Note the power on the power wheel
DETERMINING THE LENS POWER:
SPHERO-CYLINDRICAL LENSES
• Step 2 – Finding the cylinder power
− Rotate the power wheel until the second set of
lines becomes clear
− Second power reading minus first reading will
give the power of the cylinder (and its
correct sign)
• Step 3 – Finding the axis
− Note the direction of the lines on the graticule at
the second reading  axis
DETERMINING THE LENS POWER:
SPHERO-CYLINDRICAL LENSES
• Insert the spectacles
• Determine the
lens power
• Mark the
optical centre
• Measure the power
of the second lens
DETERMINING THE LENS POWER:
RING OF DOTS TARGET
 DETERMINING THE LENS POWER:
SPHERICAL LENSES
• If all the dots of the target are in focus at a given
setting of the power wheel, the lens is spherical
• Marking the optical centre
− Check that centre of the ring of dots coincides with
centre of the target
− When lens is correctly positioned and the optical
centre should be marked
− While there is no centre dot, the whole set of dots
can be ‘framed’ within the lines of the graticule to
locate the centre
DETERMINING THE LENS POWER:
SPHERICAL LENSES
• Measuring the power of the second lens
− If the lens target is displaced up or down from
the horizontal portion of the crosshair
• Vertical prismatic correction should be
incorporated for the two eyes
 RING OF DOTS TARGET
SPHERO-CYLINDRICAL LENSES
• Step 1 – Finding the sphere power
− Rotate the power wheel until one set of lines
(stretched dots) becomes clear
− Start with the higher positive power (or lower
negative power). Note the power on the
power wheel
DETERMINING THE LENS POWER:
SPHERO-CYLINDRICAL LENSES
• Step 2 – Finding the cylinder power
− Rotate the power wheel until the second set
of lines (stretched dots) becomes clear
− The second power reading minus the first
reading will give the power of the cylinder
(and its correct sign)
DETERMINING THE LENS POWER:
SPHERO-CYLINDRICAL LENSES
 DETERMINING THE PRISM WITH
FOCIMETER
• Vertical prism
• Horizontal prism
• Oblique prism
VERTICAL PRISM
 VERTICAL PRISM

• Direction of the displacement of the focimeter

target
− Indicates the base direction of the vertical prism
• If the target is displaced upwards from the
centre of the crosshair
− Base up prism is present in the second lens relative
to the first lens measured
• Magnitude of the prism is measured by
counting the number of rings from the centre of
the target to the centre of the eyepiece scale
HORIZONTAL PRISM
 HORIZONTAL PRISM

• Wearer’s IPD should be compared with

the distance between the spectacle lens
optical centres (O.C.)
− Prism being determined using Prentice’s Rule
(P = cF)
• If the spectacle wearer’s IPD is not known
− O.C. of the lens should be marked at the
position where the target is coincident with the
centre of the crosshair
 OBLIQUE PRISM

• If vertical and horizontal prisms are

present in the second lens measured
− Target will appear to be displaced obliquely
from the centre of the focimeter crosshairs
OBLIQUE PRISM
FOCIMETER USE: SOURCES OF ERROR

• Eyepiece
− Failure to focus the eyepiece will result in
incorrect readings of vertex power
− Dependent on the degree to which the
eyepiece is incorrectly focused for a given
observer
• Error in the power reading may classify completed
lens spectacles as outside the acceptable
tolerances for optical appliance standards
FOCIMETER USE: SOURCES OF ERROR

• Zero Setting and Axis Alignment

− Graticule and target should be clearly in focus
− Clarity of the Graticule and the target should
also be checked for additional lenses of
known back vertex powers
− Axis alignment should be similarly checked
with a cylindrical or sphero-cylindrical lens of
known cylinder axis orientation
FOCIMETER USE: SOURCES OF ERROR

• Centration of the Graticule and Target

− Graticule and target should remain centred
relative to each other
− Check that any variable prism incorporated
into the focimeter is set to zero
− If the target and graticule are still in
misalignment, focimeter needs servicing
FOCIMETER USE: SOURCES OF ERROR

• Corrective Measures
− Calibration of the focimeter should be checked
frequently
− If the error in the BVP is systematical
• The aperture stop is in misalignment and
• Is no longer positioned at the second principal focus of the
standard lens
− Power reading should be corrected for a systematic
error in the short-term
− Replacement and repositioning of the aperture stop
presents a long-term solution
 PROJECTION FOCIMETERS

• Target is usually projected on to a screen

− No focussing of the eyepiece in a telescopic
system is required
• This removes a source of error from the focimeter
reading
• Majority of projection focimeters
− Semiautomatic
− Have line targets
− Axis alignment is usually achieved by rotating the
target such that the triple lines become clear
PROJECTION FOCIMETERS
 PROJECTION FOCIMETERS

• The value is then denoted as the sphere

component
• If refocusing is required, the cylindrical
component and axis are calculated by the
focimeter
• Sources of arithmetic errors in determining
the cylinder magnitude are removed
 AUTOMATIC FOCIMETERS

• Operator is required only to centre the lens

correctly
• Scans the lens to determine the maximum
and minimum powers and displays the
result
• Removes majority of sources of errors
from readings
 CONCLUSION

Accurate measurement of lens power and

location of the optical centre are a critical
part of spectacle dispensing