Visual Acuity

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 Different Types of Visual Acuity
Classification according to the criteria of
perception
•Minimum Visible
Minimum separable
Minimum readable
Minimum spatial discrimination or
hyperacuity
 The minimum visible

It is expressed by the fact that an element isit can

to be in the visual field a very slight variation of contrast
provoked by a light stimulus but very small
dimension that we call point.
It is the apparent diameter expressed in arc seconds of the point.
smallest of which we can recognize the presence on a background
evenly lit. The most commonly proposed example is
a star in the black sky. The visible minimum of a point varies
between 10 and 35 seconds. This value depends on the diameter of the
pupil, background luminance, and contrast between the point and
the background.
 The minimum visible
(Yves Le Grand)
Test studied Le pouvoir de résolution
maximum of the human eye
Two points 1.3 arc minutes

Two lines 40 arc seconds

Foucault's Mirrors 35 arc seconds

Landolt ring 24 arc seconds

 The separable minimum
Separation limit between two
It is the smallest gap
allowing to see two points
blacks on a white background. The angle
under which this space is viewed
corresponds to angular acuity
and expresses itself by:

angleα = tangentα = distance between the two points / distance of observation

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 The minimum legible or contour acuity

It is the ability to recognize

optotypes of different sizes. It is this shape
of visual acuity that is used clinically
in the subjective methods of correction of
ametropias.
The minimum of spatial discrimination or
Hyperacuity

Used for a long time in laboratories

of research, it consists of taking a measurement
Vernier acuity during which the subject must
perform an alignment task. The thresholds
normals are around 0.15 arc minutes,
which is less than the diameter of a cone
foveal (50' of arc) and justified the name
of hyperacuity.
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 Factors affecting acuity
visual
Factorsphysiological or intrinsic
are those that depend on the receiver.
Factorsphysical or extrinsic are
those related to the test.

Factorspsychophysics concern
cognitive participation in the task
requested from the observer.

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 Intrinsic Factors
The pupil:
It is its size that will determine the quality of the retinal image. Indeed, the
miosis reduces spherical aberration, increases depth of field, and
decreases the amount of retinal illumination; mydriasis has the opposite effects.
Pupil diameter is an essential factor capable of influencing three parameters.
from visual reception: retinal illumination, spherical aberrations and the
diffraction.
Subjective refraction:
The sharpness of the retinal image directly influences the level of visual acuity.
The separating power is directly influenced by the existence of ametropias.
since the quality of the image of the test on the retina will depend on the value of
acuity. Thus, a refractive error of about two diopters reduces the acuity to 1/10.
The raw average (Vb), that is to say without correction, can be predicted by the rule of
Swaine who links visual acuity (in tenths) and ametropia (A) in diopters: Vb=0.25/A
This rule assumes that accommodation does not occur at all and that the
The subject cannot have a visual acuity equal to 10/10. It only applies to
for compensated ametropias between 0.25 and 2.5 diopters. This rule therefore does not
no indicative value to determine the sphere of best visual acuity.

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 Intrinsic Factors
The imperfections of the optical system: even in the emmetropic eye
causing a loss of contrast on the retina. These are aberrations
spherical, chromatic and diffraction:
1. Chromatic aberrations: refraction varies with wavelength.
It increases for short wavelengths (blue) and decreases for
large (red). Thus the white, polychromatic light is focused
in the aspect of a polychrome task and the contrast of the image on the retina
is degraded by colored fringes.
2. Spherical aberrations: the refraction of the ocular diopter is more
more powerful at the periphery than at the center. Thus, the point rays coming from a
A punctual source does not converge at a single point; the image of a surface.
the plane is no longer flat. The image of a point is therefore a halo called "circle"
of lesser diffusion.
3. The diffraction of light: the image of a point is not point-like: it
take a circular aspect called Airy Disk with a clear center
circular and around the dark and light rings.

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 Intrinsic Factors

Accommodation: it is necessary not to solicit accommodation.

to measure visual acuity by conducting tests beyond 5m. In near vision,
To measure acuity in tenths, one must take accommodation into account.
moving the nodal point of the eye in relation to the retina and enlarging
the retinal image (1/5 to 25 cm). Thus the optotypes corresponding to 10/10
in VP must support an angle of 4 minutes.
Transparency of the ocular media
Retinal topography: Variation of visual acuity according to the retinal region
stimulated,
•Eye Movements: A micro nystagmus can improve acuity
providing the same information to multiple recipients, by shifting the image
on the retinal surface.
• Binocular vision: binocular visual acuity is greater than monocular visual acuity. The gain is 20%.

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 Intrinsic Factors

Nasal side Temporal side

0.8

0.6

0.4

Blind spot
0.2

60 40 20 0 20 40

Degrees of deviation from the fovea

Retinal Topography

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 Intrinsic Factors
•Âge du sujet:Visual acuity
average changes depending on
the age, it begins around
of 1/20andat birth for
achieve 10/10andat 5 years old and his
maximum during adolescence with some
values sometimes higher than
15/10eThen it declines from
45-50 years (average age of beginning of
presbyopia) and decreases
gradually until the age of 70,
faster afterwards to reach some
values close to 5/10eafter 80
The reasons for this decline are
the loss of elasticity and
the opacification of the lens.

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 Extrinsic factors
The lighting conditions
The contrast
Wavelength
The presentation distance
Presentation time
The progression mode of the optotypes
The form of the test
Psychophysical Factors
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 Extrinsic factors
The luminance of the background:on which the test is presented and the luminance of
the environment surrounding the background. Acuity increases with the luminance of the
fond to reach maximum values around 100 candela/m2. The acuity
is proportional to the logarithm of the background luminance.
The contrast:in the clinic, the measurement of AV is theoretically done at
maximum contrast. Visual acuity increases with contrast for a
illumination given. When the illumination is low, the variation of the AVen
the function of contrast is important. The contrast should not be below
of 70%. The importance of contrast is particularly clear for small tests.
dimensions, for high shelves.
The Wavelength:The preferential sensitivity of foveal cones to
around 550 nm and the true emmetropia of the eye only for the
yellow-green explains that the AVne would be maximum only for one light
white. It decreases with equivalent energies in yellow, red, green and
blue. However, nearsighted people see better in red and farsighted people
in green: observation that was the basis of the duochrome tests. In clinic, the
AV measurements are generally made in white light with black tests on
white background.
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 Extrinsic factors
Presentation distance:It is classically 5 meters in France, 6
meters or 20 feet in Anglo-Saxon countries, distance considered in
clinic as optically to infinity to minimize the factor
accommodative. It should be noted that none of these test distances (4, 5 or 6
meters) does not represent infinity in optical terms. In fact, current standards
they recommend a distance of 5 meters for distance vision and 40 cm for
close vision.
Presentation time:The sharpness for a given illumination is equal to 1.
(10/10) for 1/100th of a second and 0.2 (2/10) for 1/1000th of
second. The optimal presentation time is around a second. All
Reduction of this time leads to a reduction of the AV. The useful time of
the presentation time is 1/10th of a second. The presentation time is
rarely a determining factor in clinical settings but it can become significant
in a number of activities: driving, working on
certain machines. The reduction of presentation time can be
partially offset by an improvement in lighting.

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 Extrinsic factors
•Method of Progression of optotypes:It can be:
An arithmetic progression of the denominator: These are the scales in
tenths (decimal scales)
An arithmetic progression of the numerator: These are the scales in the
inverses 1/10, 1/9, 1/8, etc. with the underlying intention of reproducing the gain of AV
provoked by a refraction variation by steps of 0.25 δ in application of
la règle de Swaine. Ce mode de progression n’a pas pu s’imposer face à
the decimal scale.
A geometric progression of the denominator: These are the scales.
logarithmic. The progression from one line to the next is constant (0.1 unit
Log on the Bailie and Lovie scales, for example). This progression is
advantageous for facilitating the transport of signals in the neuronal system,
A compression occurs at different stages. The latter modifies the signal.
initial and the laws generated are more comparable to functions
logarithmic functions as well as linear functions. The clinical consequence is
capital, a notion of Equi-interval is introduced.
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 Extrinsic factors
The form of the test:
Each test includes a characteristic dimension of detail to
recognize. The relationship of this dimension to the distance at which the test is placed
give the apparent diameter of this detail. We can use lines, points or
Various optotypes: the most precise consists of parallel bars.
alternately black and white, which are the Foucault targets, little used in
clinic. They are primarily used to measure the resolving power of a
optical instrument. Some authors use them for sensitivity to
contrasts. Capital letter scales are used more in clinical practice.
printing (capital letters), the most common of which is the Monoyer scale.
crochets and the grand E of Snellen optotypes as well as the broken rings of
Landolt brings a number of disadvantages and allows for more measurements
precise. For very young children, there are scales made of drawings
of animals or common objects (Pigassou scale, Rossano scale, scales
of Cadet, Sander-Zanlonghi scales).

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 Extrinsic factors

Psychophysical Factors:
The degree of confusion and the complexity of the task is
directly related to recognition, experience, and readability of the optotype
chosen for the construction of the scale. For example, confusion is possible
for the letter pairs F, P and U, V. The interaction of the contours, that is to say the
the distance between a given letter and the letters surrounding it affects readability
of this last one. As a result, the letters placed at the ends of a line are
perceived with a differentiated difficulty. Fatigue also influences the threshold.
of detection.

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 Different scales of visual acuity
•Traditional distance visual acuity tests:
- Broken rings of Landolt (1874), it remains the reference optotype for the committee.
visual functions and the International Council of Ophthalmology,
Monoyer scale (1875)
Scale for the Visually Impaired
Remote and close AV tests for children and illiterates,
-Letter tests: the Snellen scale (or Raskin), Cadet Test, Test of
Sheridan Gardner, Scolatest Essilor,
- Image tests: Rossano-Weiss Scale, Pigassou Scale, Cadet Scale
images (loin and near, ASBU scale, Pantin scale (Bonnac-Weiss),
Recent distant visual acuity tests for adults
Logarithmic scale,
ETDRS Logarithmic Scale
Paliaga Logarithmic Scale
Adult Visual Acuity Test

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 Some scales...

Monoyer scale Parinaud scale

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 Rings
Rosano- of And of
White Snellen Numbers Letters
Landolt

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 Normal visual acuity

1.0 corresponds to 1 minute of visual angle;

The theoretical maximum = 2.0, limit due to the

dimension of retinal cones;

The practical maximum = between 1.0 and 2.0

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 Visually impaired, blind and sightless
Visually impaired: A visually impaired person is someone whose acuity
visual acuity of the better eye, after correction and at 5 meters, is
less than or equal to 3/10e.

Blind people: Blind people are, in the regulatory sense

French, people whose visual acuity is less than 1/20.
They can therefore have partial vision without being blind.

Blind people: Blind people are those who are affected by blindness.
(total visual impairment), that is to say completely deprived of the
vue.

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