Page 80 - The Indian Optician Digital Edition January-February 2022
P. 80
REFRACTING INSTRUMENT
PHOROPTOR’S
EVOLUTION SINCE 1922
EFFECTIVE POWER 588
PHOROPTOR - 1927
AMERICAN OPTICAL CO. FACILITY – SOUTHBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS
ALL IMAGES
COURTESY REICHERT
TECHNOLOGIES
ADDITIVE PHOROPTOR - 1934 590 PHOROPTOR - 1948
edical equipment for eye health diagnosis, in its specular microscope that evaluates
comparatively early modern avatar, has existed the health of the cells lining the inner
Min different forms for more than 250 years. This most layer of the cornea; internal
is thanks to pioneering ideas that have been developed imaging camera takes pictures of
continually and built upon. the retina; eye scan that provides
Some prominent ones: Based on an optometer invented a 3D cross-section of the inside in
by William Porterfield in 1759, Dr Jules Badal developed his microscopic resolution; advanced
instrument in 1876. Then came the ski-optometer invented retinal camera; automated refractor;
by Nathan Shigon, and the phoro-optometer developed by macular pigment optical density
Henry DeZeng. measurer; even infant vision tester for
very young children; and of course the
Today, with technological advancements, we have a phoropter, a refracting instrument.
whole range of advanced vision and eye testing instruments
and equipment. These include visual field test equipment While the ‘phoropter’ can be
to measure the extent and the intensity of one’s visual field; referred to as a refracting instrument,
slit lamp for a magnified, three-dimensional view of the eye; the original, trademarked, patented
tonometer that measures the pressure inside of the eye; name of ‘Phoroptor’ was granted
| JAN-FEB 2022 | 76 FEATURE
