Vertex distance is the distance between the back surface of a corrective lens and the front of the cornea. Increasing or decreasing this distance changes the effective power of the lens. Vertex distance is important when converting between glasses and contact lens prescriptions, especially for prescriptions over +/- 4.00 diopters. The standard vertex distance is about 12mm, but individual frames may have different distances. The effective power of a lens varies with vertex distance, with plus lenses becoming stronger and minus lenses becoming weaker if the distance increases. Proper measurement of vertex distance is important for an accurate prescription.

1. VERTEX DISTANCE
AND POWER

2. VERTEX DISTANCE
• Vertex distance is the distance between the back surface of a corrective lens,ie
spectacle or contact lens,and front to the cornea. Increasing or decreasing the
vertex distance changes the power of the lens relative to the eye
• Vertex distance is important when converting between contact lens and glasses
prescription and become significant if the glass prescriptions is beyond +/- 4.00D
• Standard vertex distance is about 12mm

4. LENS EFFECTIVITY
• Lens optical effect may vary with vertex distance
• Vertex distance responsible for decrease of vision
• If move away from eye
* + lens becomes stronger
* - lens becomes weaker

5. VD CHANGES AND THE EFFECT IN ‘+’LENS
• Increasing the vertex distance of plus lens will increase the effective power of the
lens
• Increasing the vertex distance of plus lens will decrease the effective power of
the lens

6. • Increasing the vertex distance of a minus lens will decrease the effective power of
the lens
• Decreasing the vertex distance of a minus lens will increasing the effective power
of the lens
VD CHANGES AND THE EFFECT IN MINUS LENS

7. In case of minus lens become weaker while it moving from the eye and become
stronger while it moving closure to the eye
. Magnification and minification can affected significantly by the VD
. Greater the VD ,greater the degree of magnification and minification
. Image size changes are minimized when VD is zero

10. SIGNIFICANCE OF VERTEX DISTANCE
• In prescription must have the same effective power as the refractive test
• The vertex distance of the phoropter/ trial frame must match the vertex distance
of the spectacle lenses
• A vertex distance become significant if the diopter power of the prescription
exceed 4.00D

12. VERTEX COMPENSATION POWER

14. VERTEX COMPENSATION FORMULA

15. • For +12.00D the movement is 4mm closer to the patient
D×D/1000
12×12/1000
144/1000=0.14
4×0.14=0.48(0.50 approx)
0.50 is added to +12.00

16. • Note: if the prescription has a significant cylinder power(at least)we must perform
the calculation for the primary meridian of the power

17. HOW TO MEASURE VD?

19. MEASURING VERTEX DISTANCE(MM RULAR)
When wearing glasses,the distance from the front of the cornea to the back
surface of a lens is called vertex distance. Why is this measurement is important?
Prescription lenses in eyeglasses frames have different power at different
distance, tilt and wrap angles from the eye. That means that the same prescription
on two different people, one wearing lenses farther than the other would actually
have different power. Lenses becomes more plus(less minus)when moved away
from the eye (increasing the vertex)and less plus (more minus)when closer. That
explain why telling a progressive or bifocal wearer to slide their glasses to the tip
of their nose provide a stronger add to read the books, using phone

20. Using a mm ruler ,measure from the back of the lens to the cornea
Or
If you can’t see the back of the lens,measure from the front of the lens to the
front of the cornea(then substract lens thickness)
TO MEASURE VERTEX DISTANCE

21. WHAT IS VERTEX DISTANCE(BVD)TYPICALLY
USED FOR GLASSES PRESCRIPTION?
• The vertex distance is depend on the frame and how it site on your nose and
face. The lens prescription is often derived or assumed to be 13.5mm when
frames are chosen ,the vertex distance of the chosen frame doesn’t have to equal
13.5mm for low powered lenses. At the higher power the power seen by the eye
will be different than the written prescription

22. IN CONTACT LENS

23. VERTEX DISTANCE
• The power of a lens is the reciprocal of the focal length,the relative or effective
power of a corrective lens changes with the placement of the lens or the distance
between the lens and the eye. The relationship is expressed by the formula
D=1/f
Where D=power in diopter,f=focal length in meters
Examples:in a +1.00D,f=focal length is 10cm(0.1m)
D=1/0.1
D=10

24. EFFECTIVE POWER
• The effective power of a corrective lens varies with the vertex distance and the
formula
is Fe=F/dF
d=distance in meter
if the power of the required spectacle is known,the power of CL required to correct
the same eye can be determined by means of the effective power formula
Correction for vertex distance
Fcyl=Fsp÷(1-dFsp),d is the distance from back vertex of spectacle lens to
corneal apex
start from 4.ooD

26. COMMON FRAME ADJUSTMENT PROBLEMS –
VERTEX DISTANCE
• Increasing the vertex-bend both end pieces in
• Decreasing the vertex-bend both end pieces out
increasing the vertex distance effectively raise multifocal height and vise versa

27. CHANGING HEIGHT OR VERTEX DISTANCE

28. HOW DO YOU REDUCE VERTEX DISTANCE?
• Increasing or decreasing the vertex distance changes the opticall
properties of the system,by moving the focal point forward or
backward,effectively changing the power of the lens relative to the
eye

29. PRACTICAL APPLICATION

32. EXAMPLES
Refraction shows that an aphakia patient require a+1.00D at BVD 15mm. He need
a contact lens(F2)
F2=F1/1-dF1
Required power of contact lens=F2=+10/-0.015×10
=+1.0/1-0.15
= +10/0.85=+11.75D

33. Likewise a high myopia whose spectacle correction is -10.00D at BVD 14mm
require a contact lens (f2)
F2=f1/1-df1
Power of contact lens=f2=-10/1-[+0.014+(-10)]
=-10/1-0.14
=-10/1.14=-8.75D

38. EQUIVALENT POWER
• Also called True power
• Used to specify low vision device

39. FRONT VERTEX POWER
• Also called neutralizing power
• Parallel light coming from the right(opposite direction of normal)is focused to the
primary focal point by the front vertex power
• Power found with hand neutralization

41. BACK VERTEX POWER
• Parallel light entering the lens from the left (normal direction)is focused to the
secondary focal point by the back vertex power
• Power specified at back vertex (back surface)of the lens
• Ophthalmic prescriptions are specified using back vertex power(spectacle,
contact lens)

44. PRESCRIPTION:VERTEX POWER
• Vertex distance- distance between the ophthalmic lens and the front of the
patient’s
• Effective power-change in the prescription when the distance varies from the
normally refractive 13.5mm distance to where the patient’s wear the prescription
• Concerned with high prescription (-/+4.00)

45. THANK YOU