2023-2024 Basic and Clinical Science Course™, Section 3: Clinical Optics and Vision Rehabilitation

Section 3 of the Academy's Basic and Clinical Science Course™ (BCSC®) provides a comprehensive overview of clinical optics, including current applications of optical phenomena such as lasers, spectacles, IOLs and refractive surgery. A chapter on vision rehabilitation addresses the wide range of vision rehabilitation interventions: smartphone accessibility features and apps, electronic magnification devices, audio devices, and a variety of optical devices.

Increase your understanding of human eye optics; basic concepts of geometric optics; ophthalmic instruments and contact lenses with nine clinical videos. An animation video demonstrates a circularly polarized electromagnetic wave. Plus, a dynamic illustration allows modification of "live" drawings to experience the effects of changes in the positions of source objects and focal points.

This section of the BCSC begins with a Quick-Start Guide, which includes an extensive discussion on retinoscopy. The Quick-Start Guide includes seven Try It Yourself! exercises on Hand Neutralization of Spherical and Cylindrical Lenses, Making a Practice Eye and Detection of Astigmatism.

Upon completion of Section 3, readers should be able to:

• Outline the principles of light propagation and image formation and work through some of the fundamental equations that describe or measure such properties as refraction, reflection, magnification and vergence
• Define the various types of visual perception and function, including visual acuity, brightness sensitivity, color perception and contrast sensitivity
• Explain the optical principles underlying various modalities of refractive correction: spectacles, contact lenses, intraocular lenses and refractive surgery