Eye doctors usually focus mainly on two types of aberration: astigmatism and defocus since this is what a standard optical system allows. With the introduction of a new system that makes use of adaptive optics, visual distortions that are so subtle, physicians didn’t even know existed are detected.

Essentially, the procedure would involve directing a harmless, highly focused spot of light into the eye of a patient and measuring the light that is reflected outward. This specific light provides a glimpse or snapshot of the topography of the eye in intricate detail. It is broken up into hundreds of laser beams that are sent into a wavefront sensor which analyzes deviations in each beam’s path to reveal tiny imperfections or aberrations that exist in the person’s cornea.