AIM:Toevaluatetheaccuracyofsphericalequivalent(SE)estimatesofadouble-passsystemandtocompareitwithretinoscopy,subjectiverefractionandatablemountedautorefractor.METHODS:Non-cycloplegicrefractionwasperformedon125eyesof65healthyadults(age23.5±3.0years)fromOctober2010toJanuary2011usingretinoscopy,subjectiverefraction,autorefraction(AutokeratorefractometerTOPCONKR-8100,Japan)andadoublepasssystem(OpticalQualityAnalysisSystem,OQAS,VisiometricsS.L.,Spain).Nineconsecutivemeasurementswiththedouble-passsystemwereperformedonasubgroupof22eyestoassessrepeatability.ToevaluatethetruenessoftheOQASinstrument,theSElaboratorybiasbetweenthedoublepasssystemandtheothertechniqueswascalculated.RESULTS:TheSEmeancoefficientofrepeatabilityobtainedwas0.22D.SignificantcorrelationscouldbeestablishedbetweentheOQASandtheSEobtainedwithretinoscopy(r=0.956,P<0.001),subjectiverefraction(r=0.955,P<0.001)andautorefraction(r=0.957,P<0.001).ThedifferencesinSEbetweenthedouble-passsystemandtheothertechniquesweresignificant(P<0.001),butlackedclinicalrelevanceexceptforretinoscopy;Retinoscopygavemorehyperopicvaluesthanthedouble-passsystem-0.51±0.50Daswellasthesubjectiverefraction-0.23±0.50D;Moremyopicvalueswereachievedbymeansofautorefraction0.24±0.49D.CONCLUSION:Thedouble-passsystemprovidesaccurateandreliableestimatesoftheSEthatcanbeusedforclinicalstudies.Thistechniquecandeterminethecorrectfocuspositiontoassesstheocularopticalquality.However,ithasarelativelysmallmeasuringrangeincomparisonwithautorefractors(-8.00to+5.00D),andrequirespriorinformationontherefractivestateofthepatient.
