History of ocular straylight measurement: A review

Abstract

The earliest studies on 'disability glare' date from the early 20(th) century. The condition was defined as the negative effect on visual function of a bright light located at some distance in the visual field. It was found that for larger angles (>1 degree) the functional effect corresponded precisely to the effect of a light with a luminosity equal to that of the light that is perceived spreading around such a bright source. This perceived spreading of light was called straylight and by international standard disability glare was defined as identical to straylight. The phenomenon was recognized in the ophthalmological community as an important aspect of the quality of vision and attempts were made to design instruments to measure it. This must not be confused with instruments that assess light spreading over small distances (<1 degree), as originating from (higher order) aberrations and defocus. In recent years a new instrument has gained acceptance (C-Quant) for objective and controllable assessment of straylight in the clinical setting. This overview provides a sketch of the historical development of straylight measurement, as well as the results of studies on the origins of straylight (or disability glare) in the normal eye, and on findings on cataract (surgery) and corneal conditions.