Outstanding Features Of The Indirect Ophthalmoscope

By Teri Farley


Ophthalmoscopy is examination of the inner part of the eye with the help of an instrument known as an ophthalmoscope. The procedure falls into two categories, direct as well as indirect ophthalmoscopy. In direct ophthalmoscopy, the eye's image is produced as an upright image that is up to fifteen times the original size. The latter inverts the image not beyond five times the sizes and the instrument used is an indirect ophthalmoscope.

There are different features of instruments used that determine which of the two procedures is adopted. For this reason, each type of examination uses its appropriate funduscope. The direct funduscope is tiny, almost the size of a hand-held torch, with potent lenses offering enlargement.

This type is commonly used for routine examinations. The examination of the inner part of the eye using ophthalmoscope process has a head band that holds a light together with a small handheld lens. The design provides a wider view of the inner part of the eye.

Using the procedure has advantages over its counterpart. It offers a wide field of view that gives a clearer view of fundus of the eye, possible even when the lens covered by cataracts. The field of view increases to thirty degrees using the powerful condensing lenses. This enables peripheral viewing of the retina which is better. The increased field of view also improves retinopathy assessment process.

There is also better clarity of the organ opacities, improved by better lighting that permits visualization through the dense cloudy media. The improved vision forms when paths of the incident and the reflected lights being separate, which is not the case with direct ophthalmoscopy. Still, illumination is beneficial by increasing the pigmented lens size. Furthermore, this type can either be monocular or binocular and is used during peripheral viewing of the retina.

When using a binocular instrument, the examiner gets access to stereoscopic view. This allows visualization of retinal detachment possible in three dimensions. The procedure also produces high quality stereoscopic images that are well illuminated. The complete equipment is portable. When used, the lens is held at arm's length close to the patient's eye. This sets the examiner away from the patient, which is not intimidating in the case of apprehensive patients.

The increased working distance between patient and doctor cal allow for lower powered lenses that help keep a larger field of view. The degree of cooperation is also not required, a case common with direct ophthalmoscopy. Also, the examination of the inner part of the eye using ophthalmoscope process is used to view the retina to the extreme ends. This allows a holistic assessment of the eye by the examiner and may find underlying or hidden problems.

Some disadvantages of going for the indirect funduscope include the complications of inverted vertical and horizontal images, along with lowered levels of magnification. It must be remembered that acquiring a perfect perspective can take a lot of time and patience. No technique is ever perfect, but some offer advantages over other comparative ones. Currently, the binocular indirect ophthalmoscope is preferred in the optometry market because of its many advantages.




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