Optical Principles and Characteristics of Presbyopia-correcting Multifocal Contact Lenses

Presbyopia is an age-related physiological condition that is characterized by reduced near vision due to a decline in crystalline lens elasticity and accommodative ability. Multifocal contact lenses for presbyopic correction are designed to incorporate different refractive powers within a single lens, permitting simultaneous formation of distance and near foci. The power profile, which visualizes the refractive power distribution from the center to the periphery of the lens, is an important parameter for evaluating the characteristics of lens designs and their clinical implications. These optical properties should be interpreted not only as intrinsic features of the lens design, but also as outcomes of interactions with wearer-related physiological factors, such as pupil size, residual accommodation, and higher-order aberrations. Therefore, future multifocal contact lens designs should be moved beyond simply providing added power, and the aim should be to maintain stable and balanced visual quality across multiple viewing distances. In addition, because lenses with the same nominal design may produce different on-eye effects depending on clinical factors, personalized optical designs that reflect individual ocular characteristics will be increasingly important.