EDOF intraocular lens design: shift in image plane vs object vergence

BACKGROUND: To compare 2 different design scenarios of EDOF-IOLs inserted in the Liou-Brennan schematic model eye using raytracing simulation as a function of pupil size. METHODS: Two EDOF IOL designs were created and optimized for the Liou-Brennan schematic model eye using Zemax ray tracing software. Each lens was optimized to achieve a maximum Strehl ratio for intermediate and far vision. In the first scenario, the object was located at infinity (O1), and the image plane was positioned at far focus (I1) and intermediate focus (I2) to emulate far and intermediate distance vision, respectively. In the second scenario, the image plane was fixed at I1 according to the first scenario. The object plane was set to infinity (O1) for far-distance vision and then shifted closer to the eye (O2) to reproduce the corresponding intermediate vision. The performance of both IOLs was simulated for the following 3 test conditions as a function of pupil size: a) O1 to I1, b) O1 to I2, and c) O2 to I1. To evaluate the imaging performance, we used the Strehl ratio, the root-mean-square (rms) of the spot radius, and the spherical aberration of the wavefront for various pupil sizes. RESULTS: Evaluating the imaging performance of the IOLs shows that the imaging performance of the IOLs is essentially identical for object/image at O1/I1. Designed IOLs perform dissimilarly to each other in near-vision scenarios, and the simulations confirm that there is a slight difference in their optical performance. CONCLUSION: Our simulation study recommends considering the difference between object shift and image plane shift in design and test conditions to achieve more accurate pseudoaccommodation after cataract surgery. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12886-023-03144-4.