Influence of Intraocular Lens Material Constants on Retinal Image Quality: A Physics-Based Modeling and Ray-Tracing Study

Moradi, Radman; Ranjbaran, Maliheh

doi:10.22075/ppam.2026.42078.1253

Influence of Intraocular Lens Material Constants on Retinal Image Quality: A Physics-Based Modeling and Ray-Tracing Study

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Radman Moradi

Maliheh Ranjbaran

Department of Electromagnetic and Optical Technologies, CT.C, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran

10.22075/ppam.2026.42078.1253

Abstract

The optical performance of intraocular lenses (IOLs) depends on both geometrical characteristics and material properties. This study evaluated how the refractive index and Abbe number of different IOL materials could affect on-axis retinal image quality using Zemax OpticStudio. A pseudophakic eye model was used to simulate IOLs made from polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), hydrophilic acrylic, hydrophobic acrylic, silicone, Collamer, polyisobutylene-based polymer, and a gradient-index (GRIN) lens. The optical performance of IOLs was analyzed using the modulation transfer function (MTF), retinal spot diagram, and the Strehl ratio. Higher Abbe numbers resulted in larger MTF values, smaller retinal spot sizes, and higher Strehl ratios by decreasing chromatic aberration, while the refractive index alone had little influence. In addition, the effects of pupil diameter, IOL decentration, and tilt on image quality were evaluated to examine the robustness of each design under clinically relevant conditions. The GRIN IOL achieved the best overal performance among the evaluated lenses but was the most sensitive to pupil dilation and IOL decentration. However, manufacturability, the effects of scattering, absorption, and surface reflections were not included and chould be investigated experimentally in future studies.

Keywords

IOL Material

Retinal Image

Pseudophakic eye model

Aberrations

GRIN-IOL

Subjects

Optical Materials

© 2026 The Author(s). Progress in Physics of Applied Materials published by Semnan University Press. This is an open access article under the CC-BY 4.0 license. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

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