LECTURE NOTES: Visual Optics 1

10. The Near Correction

Reading References: CVO: Chapter 7, 4th Edition pages: 131-136, 304-305; 3rd
edition: pages 119 –124, 288-289; 2nd edition: pages 142-146, 344-346; VO:
Sections 4.9 – 4.9.1, pages 199-205.

10.1 Introduction

The spectacle power Fsp is the back vertex power, F'V, of the distance correction.
If Amp is adequate, the distance correction is appropriate for near viewing also.
If not, the near (or reading) correction differs from the distance correction.
Amp may not be sufficient for a clear view of the near target through the distance
correction.
This occurs normally due to an aging effect referred to as presbyopia.

10.2 The Near (Reading) Addition

Consider an eye corrected for distance vision with spectacle power Fsp . When this
eye views a near object through the distance spectacle lens, the additional power
required in the spectacle plane for a clear view of the near object with the eye relaxed
was introduced as the spectacle accommodation As and As was equal to -Ls .
Consider the situation where a subject has an amplitude of accommodation which is
less than –Ls measured from the spectacle plane. In such a case an Add (also called
the near addition, reading addition or simply the Add) is given to a portion of the
distance spectacle with value equal to -Ls -(Amps)/2 , so that, the subject can view the
near target by exercising half his amplitude of accommodation, the other half being
provided by the Add. A person is comfortable if he has to exercise less than or equal to
(Amps)/2 when reading or doing near work.
Thus by exercising an accommodation of (Amps)/2, the subject will be able to see the
near object clearly through the Add. By relaxing his accommodation he will be able to
see for a range of distances beyond the near object. By exercising full accommodation
he will be able to see objects at distances closer than ls. ls generally corresponds to the
working distance of the subject, for which he lacks sufficient accommodation for
comfortable viewing, thereby requiring an Add. The Add is the positive power added
to the distance correction and is given by the equation
Add = - Ls - (Amps)/2 Eqn.(10.1)

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The above equation is a very important relationship in the context of clinical

optometry.
Presbyopes require an Add only when their amplitude of accommodation falls to 4D.
For such subjects Amps is very nearly equal to the amplitude of ocular accommodation
Amp. Hence near Add can be prescribed by using Amps which is easier to measure in
practice. .

Exercise 10.1
Calculate the Add required by a 50 year old subject for reading at 40 cm, assuming an
optimum value for As equal to Amps / 2. Use mean Amps in Figure 7.7. Ans. +1.50D.

10.3 Distance and Near Corrections

The range of clear vision is the range of axial object distances for which the view is
clear.
In distance vision this term corresponds to the range of accommodation through the
distance correction.
With the reading/near correction, near objects viewed through the near correction may
be clear.Viewed through the same reading correction, however, distant objects cannot
be clear.
In that case, two corrections are needed, one for distance and the other for near.
Often these two (or more) powers are incorporated in one lens such as a bifocal lens.
The range of clear vision through the two powers will differ.
The two ranges may overlap.
Otherwise, there will be a gap within which blur is inevitable.
Exercise 10.2
Calculate the least distance and the gap or overlap in the range of clear vision through
bifocals when (i) Add = +2.50 D, Amps = 1.00 D and (ii) Add = +1.50 D,
Amps = 2.00 D.
Ans. 286 mm, 600 mm gap; 286 mm, 167 mm overlap.

10.4 Determination of the correct Add

As the amplitude of accommodation steadily decreases with age, the near Add for a
person depends on his age. It is between 0.00-1.00 D for a 45yr. old and between
1.75D – 2.50 D at 60yrs. To determine the Add (i) the working distance should be
known (ii) Amps should be measured. Once the value of the Add has been determined
it should be checked by one of the following methods before it is prescribed.

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10.4.1 Range of clear vision

The working distance of the subject should be at the dioptric centre of the limits of
clear vision through the Add. This means that the distance range beyond the working
distance should be greater than the distance range in front as shown in Fig.10.1.

proximal end

Distal end
ls
Working distance Add

Fig.10.1 Range of clear vision with the correct add.

For example, consider a subject with Amps = 2.00 D and Ls = -2.50 D. His Add is
therefore 1.50 D. The proximal end is when he is accommodating by 2.00 D through
the Add. Thus the proximal end is at -286 mm. The distal end is with Add alone (with
the eye relaxed) which is therefore at 667 mm. The working distance of 400 mm
which is at the dioptric centre of the range of vision through the Add is thus closer to
the proximal end and farther from the distal end.

10.4.2 Trial lens method

Fine tuning of the add may be achieved by adding low power spherical lenses while
the subject looks at the test card at his chosen working distance until he achieves
clearest and most comfortable vision.

10.4.3 Bichromatic test

The bichromatic test is performed at the working distance and the Add adjusted to
obtain slight green preference or equality.

10.4.4 Cross-cylinder method

The subject views a grid of vertical and horizontal lines kept at his chosen working
distance through a ±0.50D cross cylinder. A cross cylinder is an astigmatic lens
consisting of two cylinders of equal power and perpendicular axes. The +0.50D power
of the cross cylinder is kept along the vertical. Because the power along the vertical is
more the horizontal line focus will be formed earlier than the vertical line focus. If the
subject views the grid through the correct Add and the crossed cylinder, he will see
both the lines equally blurred as the circle of least confusion is formed on the retina. If
the Add is more, the subject will see the vertical lines sharp and if the Add is less the
subject will see the horizontal lines sharp. In this test, an immediate response is

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encouraged to discourage change of accommodation by the subject.

10.5 Depth of Field and Depth of Focus

Depth of field is the range of clear vision when accommodation is constant.

Depth of field applies to the object space.
Depth of focus is the corresponding range in the intraocular image space.
Within the depth of focus, blur circles are too small to affect the quality of the image
appreciably.
Outside the depth of focus, blur is noticeable.
Depth of field depends on pupil size. If pupil size decreases, depth of field increases
as blur circle size is directly proportional to the pupil size (until diffraction sets the
limit).
Experimentally determined depth of field or focus is about +0.3D for a 3 mm pupil.

10.5.1 Effect of depth of field on the Range of Clear Vision

Depth of field increases the range of clear vision.

Therefore, for the fully accommodated eye, depth of field, in effect, is like an increase
in Amp.
Likewise for the static (relaxed) eye, depth of field, in effect, is like negative
accommodation as the subject will be able to see beyond the far point using his depth
of field.

Exercise 10.3
Amps = 1.00D. Determine the range of clear vision through a +2.00D Add for depths
of field of (i) zero and (ii) +0.3D. Ans. 167 mm, 285 mm.

10.5.2 Depth of field in Distance and Near vision

In distance vision (O1 at infinity) the eye places the image of point B1 on the retina.
Thus the eye over accommodates (stays close to the resting state of accommodation in
which the eye settles to a slightly focussed state) in looking at infinity. O1 is seen by
using the depth of focus as shown in the top part of Fig.10.2.

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Blurred image of
O1 is on the
Parallel rays retina
from O1
Depth of field Depth of focus
∞
A1 O1 B1 A1′O1′ B1′
Object is at O1(∞) Range of vision
The eye accommodates
Virtual object to see B1
point behind the
eye

Range of accommodation

The eye accommodates

to see A2

Depth of field Depth of focus

A2 O2 B2 A2′ O2′B2′

Object is at O2 Blurred image of

O2 is on the
Rays from O2
retina

Fig. 10.2 Accommodative adjustment between distance and near vision.

In near vision (O2 is the near object), A2 is conjugate to the retina and O2 is seen by
using the depth of focus as shown in the bottom half of Fig.10.2. Thus the eye
underaccommodates in viewing O2.
Hence the change in accommodation required in viewing from near to far or far to
near is minimised. In viewing objects from O1 to O2 , the eye only accommodates
from B1 to A2 as shown by the dotted lines in Fig.10.2. The eye’s depth of focus is
thus made use of to advantage.

As the eye overaccommodates in distance vision, red is seen clearer.

In near vision as the eye underaccommodates, blue is seen clearer.

10.6 Near correction and Anisometropia

We have already encountered the concept of effective power. For example, Fsp is the
effective power of K and vice versa. Recall that the effective power of a lens at a

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distance d from it depends on its power. Spectacle lenses are designed such that their
effective power at the eye corresponds to the ocular refraction. When a near object is
viewed through a distance spectacle correction, the accommodation demand placed on
the eye in viewing the near object depends on the power of the spectacle lens. For an
anisometrope the spectacle power is different for each eye. Therefore when an
anisometrope views a near object through his distance spectacle correction the
accommodative demand placed on each eye is different. Small differences in the
accommodative demand can be tolerated due to depth of focus. In the case of
significant differences a different correction may be used for near. In near correction a
different Add is given to each eye to equalize the accommodative demand on both the
eyes so that the anisometrope can view the near object comfortably.

10.7 Astigmatic correction for near vision

When an astigmatic eye views a near object through the distance spectacle correction
the accommodative demand along each of the two principal meridians is different.
Since the eye cannot accommodate differently along different meridians there results
a residual astigmatic error in near vision through a distance correction spectacle. This
is significant when the astigmatism is about 4D or greater.
While viewing near objects, the effective powers of the distance correction spectacle,
at the eye, along the principal meridians, will no longer correct the ocular astigmatism
fully because the vergence of the rays incident on the lens from a near object is not
zero. This error can be eliminated by providing the astigmat a new correction for near
vision.
When the astigmatic eye views a near object at distance ls from the spectacle plane
the accommodative demand Aα along the α meridian is given by
Aα ≈ −Ls{1+d(Ls + 2Fspα)} Eqn.(10.2)

where Fspα is the lens power along the α meridian.

Similarly,
Aβ ≈ −Ls{1+d(Ls + 2Fspβ)} Eqn.(10.3)

Aα − Aβ = Difference in the accommodative demand along the two meridians

≈ −2dLs(Fspα − Fspβ) Eqn. (10.4)
This is an approximate expression.
If the eye accommodates by A dioptres then residual error along α is
Eα = Aα − A and Eqn.(10.5a)
residual error along β is
Eβ = Aβ − A Eqn.(10.5b)

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Residual astigmatic error is

Eα − Eβ = Aα − Aβ ≈ −2dLs(Fspα − Fspβ) Eqn.(10.6)

The astigmatic error that results when an astigmatic subject views a near object
through his distance correction is unaffected by accommodation. Equation (10.6)
tells us the residual astigmatic error in near vision for a given working distance
and a given distance spectacle correction.

10.7.1 Relation between distance and near cylinders

Let C represent the cylinder required for distance correction and M the mean sphere
(M = S+C/2) of the distance correcting lens. The principal powers of the distance
correcting lens are therefore M+C/2 and M−C/2.

M + C/2

M − C/2
C′

Fig. 10.3 Astigmatic correction in distance vision

For distance vision the correcting cylinder C′ at the eye can then be expressed as the
difference between the effective powers of M+C/2 and M−C/2 at the eye which can
be obtained using the well known effective power formula (see Fig. 10.3). This
exercise yields C′ at the eye to be
C′ = C/ {(1−dM)2 − (d2C2/4)} Eqn.(10.7)

In near vision (see Fig.10.4), let us assume that the required correcting cylinder is Cn.
Let us also assume that an Add of spherical power N dioptres is given to the
presbyopic subject.
Add
M + Cn/2
N
Ls
M − Cn/2
C′n

working distance
d

Fig. 10.4 Astigmatic correction in near vision

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Then Cn′ the effective power of (M + N + Ls) + Cn/2 and (M + N + Ls) − Cn/2 at the
eye is given by

C′n = Cn/ {[1−d(M + N + Ls)]2 − (d2Cn2/4)} Eqn. (10.8)

For clear vision C′n = C′. Equating Eqns.(10.7 ) and (10.8 ) and neglecting the terms
(d2C2/4) and (d2Cn2/4) in these Eqns. (as d is small ), we get

Cn / C = {1 − d(M + N + Ls)}2 / (1− dM)2 Eqn. (10.9)

Thus the correcting cylinder for near vision at any working distance can be found
from the correcting cylinder for distance vision.
When Add power N = −Ls, the subject does not have to accommodate for near vision
and the distance correcting cylinder will then work equally well for near vision too.
Thus for Add power N = −Ls.
Cn = C

When Add = 0 (as for young astigmats)

Cn / C = {1 − d(M + Ls)}2 / (1− dM)2 Eqn. (10.10)
Exercise 10.4 gives examples related to astigmatism and the near correction.
Exercise 10.4
(a) For K = −3.54 / −2.35 x 180. Calculate (i) Fsp at 16 mm and (ii) the near correction
for an object distance 250 mm from S when Add = 0.
Ans. −3.75/ −2.75 x 180; −3.59/ −3.08 x 180

(b) Repeat (a) (ii) for A = 0.00D. (Hint: when A = 0, N = −Ls) Ans. +0.25/ −2.75 x 180.

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