OPTICAL INSTRUMENTATION FOR EYE LENGTH MEASUREMENT USING A SHORT COHERENCE LENGTH LASER-BASED INTERFEROMETER APPROACH

An optical interferometric approach is described for the measurement o f axial eye length. The technique uses the short coherence length char acteristics of the light source to locate, interferometrically, the po sition of the front surface of the eye and the retina. Results are pre sented from studies on an idealized model eye and the precision of the measurement is discussed. The advantages of the technique and a compa rison with previously used short coherence measurements are also revie wed.