Anisometropia

Example

Consider a pair of spectacles to correct for myopia with a prescription of −1.00 m⁻¹ in one eye and −4.00 m⁻¹ in the other. Suppose that for both eyes the other parameters are identical, namely t = 1 mm = 0.001 m, n = 1.6, P = 5 m⁻¹, and h = 15 mm = 0.015 m.
Then for the first eye ${\displaystyle {\textrm {Magnification}}={\frac {1}{(1-(0.001/1.6)\times 5)}}\cdot {\frac {1}{(1-0.015\times -1)}}=1.0031\times 0.9852=0.9883=98.83\,\%}$,
while for the second eye ${\displaystyle {\textrm {Magnification}}={\frac {1}{(1-(0.001/1.6)\times 5)}}\cdot {\frac {1}{(1-0.015\times -4)}}=1.0031\times 0.9434=0.9464=94.64\,\%}$.

Thus, in the first eye the size of the image formed on the retina will be 1.17% smaller than without spectacles (although it will be sharp, rather than blurry), whilst in the second eye the image formed on the retina will be 5.36% smaller.

As alluded to above, one method of producing more iseikonic lenses would be to adjust the thickness and base curve of the second lens. For instance, theoretically it could be set to t = 5 mm = 0.005 m and P = 14.5 m⁻¹, with all other parameters unchanged. Then for the second eye the magnification would become ${\displaystyle {\textrm {Magnification}}={\frac {1}{(1-(0.005/1.6)\times 14.5)}}\cdot {\frac {1}{(1-0.015\times -4)}}=1.0475\times 0.9434=0.9882=98.82\,\%}$,
which is much closer to that of the first eye.

In this example the first eye, with a −1.00 diopter prescription, is the stronger eye, needing only slight correction to sharpen the image formed, and hence a thin spectacle lens. The second eye, with a −4.00 diopter prescription, is the weaker eye, needing moderate correction to sharpen the image formed, and hence a moderately thick spectacle lens — if the aniseikonia is ignored. In order to avoid the aniseikonia (so that both magnifications will be practically the same, while retaining image sharpness in both eyes), the spectacle lens used for the second eye will have to be made even thicker.