What Tools Do Eye Doctors Use?

Issues with eyesight are not only bothersome, but they can also be dangerous. It is important to be able to see clearly whether you are driving down the road or sitting in a classroom trying to read the chalkboard. Regular visits to the eye doctor can help ensure that you get any help that you need to see clearly, as well as ensure that there are not bigger problems with your eyes, such as glaucoma. When you do visit the eye doctor, she will use several different tools to evaluate your eyes.

Ophthalmoscope

• The monocular direct and the binocular indirect are both types of ophthalmoscopes. The monocular direct is hand-held and used to examine the back of the eye. The view through the monocular direct is slightly magnified. This tool is also used to "detect changes in the clarity or obstructions in the normally transparent ocular media," according to Dr. Bickford at Eye Care Contacts. The binocular indirect is either worn by the doctor or the patient and used in combination with a condensing lens, which is placed in front of the eye. Drops that dilate the pupils of the patient's eyes are used to allow the doctor a 3-D view of the back of his eye. The view through the binocular indirect is smaller, yet wider, than through the monocular direct. This type of ophthalmoscope can detect elevated lesions that the monocular direct may miss.

Slit Lamp Biomicroscope

• Through condensing lenses, a slit lamp biomicroscope offers the doctor a 3-D view of the retina. This tool also allows the doctor to view the cornea, iris and lens. With the use of dye the tool allows the doctor to see tissue damage, inflammation, cataract and more. This is the tool used by eye doctors when fitting a patient for contact lenses.

Visual Fields Tester

• Visual field loss may be a symptom of glaucoma, tears in the retina, artery and vein occlusions and optic nerve tumors. A visual field tester is used by doctors to test a patient's visual field for signs of loss. The visual field tester shows the patient an oscillating bar pattern or point of light in different locations on a screen. The patient then indicates that he can see the pattern by clicking a mouse button.

Tonometer

• Tonometers are used by eye doctors to measure pressure in the eye. Some tonometers require the use of dye and anesthetic. Eye pressure measurements are used to help eye doctors diagnose glaucoma, although eye pressure measurements alone are not enough to diagnose glaucoma.

Keratometer and Automated Cornea Topographer

• Curvature of the anterior cornea and the smoothness of the eye is measured using a keratometer. This is useful to an eye doctor in that is helps her determine if a patient has an astigmatism and the severity of the astigmatism. Keratometer also helps eye doctors diagnose cornea disease and fit patients for contact lenses. Topographers map the surface of the cornea to offer the eye doctor more information with regards to curvature.

Retinascope

• The retinascope works by shooting light to the back of the eye as the doctor "dials in the lens power required to focus that light source correctly on the retina," according to Bickford. This helps the doctor to determine the proper lens prescription for patients.

Refractor/Phoropter

• Lenses and prisms are used in different combinations on a refractor to create almost all possible optical corrections. The doctor starts with the information from the retina scope and then uses the refractor to fine tune a patient's lens prescription. As the lenses are changed, the doctor will ask the patient to tell her what combination she is able to see with. This tool can also be used to help the doctor examine differences between the patient's eyes.