Optical Biometry

The development of optical biometry has improved very significantly the accuracy and precision of the measurement of the axial length (AL) which is one of the essential variables for the calculation of the intraocular lens (IOL) power. In this chapter, the technologies of the different interferometric setups are described in detail: from PCI to OLCR, finally arriving at the present day used swept-source OCT. The accurate measurement of anterior chamber length and lens thickness with these methods has given way to the development of modern IOL power calculation formulas. Optical biometry provides the surgeon with a B-scan of the eye allowing the identification of anatomical boundaries even in the case of very dense cataracts. The OCT technology has also been applied in the intraoperative measurement of the IOL position.