What does the autorefractometer show?
The device directs an infrared beam into the eye and, based on the nature of its reflection from the retina, calculates the optical power of the eye in diopters, as well as the axis and magnitude of astigmatism. The method is objective: it does not depend on the patient’s answers, therefore it is applicable to young children and people who find it difficult to describe their sensations. However, this is not the final prescription for glasses - the data must be checked subjectively, in a trial frame. In children, the study is performed after instillation of drops that relieve the stress of accommodation.
Why do you need hardware diagnostics?
An examination by an ophthalmologist gives a high-quality picture, while hardware methods provide accurate numbers. They allow us to track the dynamics: whether myopia is progressing, whether the field of vision is narrowing with glaucoma, whether the length of the child’s eye has changed over the year.
Some data cannot be obtained at all during a routine examination - for example, the condition of the retina with a cloudy lens or the exact length of the eyeball for calculating an artificial lens.
Basic methods
- autorefractometry - objective measurement of eye refraction
- computer perimetry - study of visual fields
- Ultrasound biometry (A-scan) – measurement of eye length and structures
- Ultrasound examination of the eye (B-scan) - a picture of the internal environments and retina