Imaging vitreous floaters and cataracts with optical simulations

Abstract This study proposes a practical method for modeling floating images in a human eye with vitreous floaters by using optical software and image processing. A floating image is an overlapping image of vitreous floaters inside the eye and an object outside. Firstly, the diffraction pattern from a small floater ball was studied. To model the images caused by floater groups, such as threadlike strands and cataract-induced floaters, a nonsequential software and Mie scattering theory were applied. On the basis of our simulation, an artificial reduced eye having floater-like micro-structures is utilized to show different floating images. The main benefit of this modeling method is the ability to assist quantitatively identifying the vision deficiency induced by floaters.