Spherical Aberration of the Crystalline Lens

Knowledge of the aberration properties of the lens are important for at least two reasons; (1) it gives some indication of the limitations of using corneal distortions alone as a measure of total ocular aberration and (2) it will help us unravel the gradient refractive index structure of the lens. In this paper we will use published data on ocular aberrations and corneal shape to estimate the spherical aberration of the lens. By comparing this data with predictions from equations for the spherical aberration of gradient index materials, we will examine possible forms of the gradient index structure of the lens.