High accuracy measurement of spectral characteristics of movements of the eye elements

Abstract

Kinematics of displacements of the eye’s elements was investigated by means of fast
pupillometry and spectral optical coherence tomography. Time-frequency analysis of the
fluctuations of the pupil diameter (hippus) as well as longitudinal movements of the cornea, the lens and retina was used to evaluate the temporal and spectral characteristics of the recorded measurements. A high correlation between the kinematics of eye’s elements and the cardiopulmonary activity was found. The average amplitude of hippus was in the range from 0.1 to 0.3 mm while its observed frequencies reached up to the seventh harmonic of the pulse. The longitudinal pulsations of the cornea, the lens and retina along the visual axis showed similar effective amplitudes from around 25 to 35 μm with frequencies that could reach up to the eighth harmonic of the pulse. The study showed a clear link between the cardio-pulmonary system and movements of the eye’s elements. This link needs to be further investigated as it may play a significant role in the eye’s visual process.