Optometry Equipment

An autorefractor provides us with a quick computerised assessment of your visual status. It is used to determine a patient’s prescription by measuring how light is affected as it reflects through the eyeball. Autorefractors provide an excellent baseline for us to determine the correct spectacle or contact lens prescription for each patient.

We use this machine to measure intraocular pressure, the fluid pressure within the eye, during an eye examination. Tonometry is one of the principal tests for glaucoma, an eye disease that, if left undetected and untreated, can cause blindness by damaging the nerve in the back of the eye, known as the optic nerve. Tonometry measures intraocular pressure by recording the resistance of your cornea to pressure.

Our fundus camera allows us to take pictures of different areas of the retina and then combine them into a mosaic. This allows us to view a much larger area in detail. It also allows us to check for retinal conditions such as diabetic eye disease, macular degeneration and other conditions that require monitoring by means of retinal photography. With high-quality images, we are able to track any progression and keep accurate records for each patient.

A corneal topographer is a state-of-the-art piece of equipment used to draw a detailed map of the surface of the cornea. It allows us to see all the undulations and irregularities on the cornea to assist in diagnosing conditions like keratoconus, pellucid marginal degeneration and other conditions that might lead to an irregular corneal surface. Beyond diagnostic capabilities, our corneal topographer is invaluable in the fitting of hard contact lenses. These lenses need to be fitted to very strict parameters to achieve the best visual outcome and to ensure the cornea is not harmed by the lens.

Being on the forefront of technology, we are able to take cross-section scans of the retina and cornea using our OCT machine. This allows us to detect underlying conditions which cannot be detected with traditional methods and manage them accordingly. Another advantage of having this machine in our practice is that it enables us to measure the thickness of the cornea and monitor it for any significant changes, especially important in conditions such as keratoconus, and it allows us to do a more comprehensive glaucoma screening, as well as monitor any progression of the condition. It also provides detailed imagery that is used in the process of fitting scleral contact lenses.

This piece of equipment is used to assess the visual fields of each eye independently. Visual field tests are performed in order to detect blind spots (scotomas) and other visual field defects, which may be early signs of a range of eye or brain disorders. The results are used as baseline information to assess potential changes in your visual field in the future.