Corneal surface reconstruction by using heterodyne Moiré method

In this paper, we propose a simple method for reconstructing the corneal surface profile by using the Talbot effect, projection moiré method, and heterodyne interferometry. A linear grating is obliquely illuminated by an expanding collimated light, and a self-image of this grating can be generated and projected on the corneal surface. The deformed grating fringes are imaged on the second grating to form the moiré fringes. If the first grating is moved with a constant velocity along the grating plane, a series of sampling points of the sinusoidal wave which behave like the heterodyne interferometric signal can be recorded by a CMOS camera. The phase distribution of the corneal surface then can be obtained with the IEEE 1241 least-square sine fitting algorithm and 2D phase unwrapping. Finally, the corneal surface profile can be reconstructed by substituting the phase distribution into special derived equation. This method provides the advantages of a simple optical setup, ease of operation, high stability, and high resolution.