Slit Lamps and Accessories

The slit lamp or biomicroscope, combines two components:

  • a bright focal source of light shone through a slit of variable width or height
  • a microscope, usually binocular

Although it began as an instrument more commonly used by ophthalmologists, its development was overseen by several optical physicists and it came to be a staple item of equipment of contact lens opticians.

 

 

A slit lamp allows close surface examination of the front of the eye (the 'anterior segment') especially the cornea. With the use of auxiliary lenses such as Volk lenses it can also be used to inspect the interior of the eye (the posterior section, including the retina and the vitreous).

There is now an option to choose between a standard slit-lamp where the observations of the practitioner can be limited by their individual memory, consistency of grading and artistic skill during record keeping, or a new digital slit-lamp.

A digital slit-lamp, like the CSO SL9900 Elite Digital LED Slit Lamp, enables the practitioner to generate instantaneous images on a computer monitor following capture. Poor quality images can be deleted with ease and further images recorded until satisfied.

The instant nature of digital imaging has the additional advantage of supporting patient education; for example, demonstrating the benefits of disposable/frequent replacement contact lenses as well as the importance of regular aftercare.

The CSO SL9900 Elite Digital LED Slit Lamp combined with the POLARIS from CSO offers advanced analysis of the tear film The Polaris enables the user to evaluate the stability and quality of the tear film through the measurement of the non in-vasive break up time. Polaris integrates with the Phoenix software system so patient data can be recorded for later re-view.

The CSO SL9900 Elite Digital LED Slit Lamp is now equipped with an upgraded high-resolution digital camera that is discreet and stylish.

The diagnostic functionality of the Elite is being continually improved and developed in co-operation with the most prestigious and respected medical institutions, doctors and optometrists

While digital photography can be a valuable adjunct to normal record keeping, it is important that it should not replace the physical record. The quality of the image obtained is dependent on many variables, the key one of which is the exposure

Call us for more information on either standard slit-lamps or new digital ones.