Demand for Optometry Equipment Has Increased Due to Increasing Prevalence of Eye Disorders

 

Optometry equipment are widely used to monitor, diagnose, and prevent ophthalmic disorders such as glaucoma and cataract. Ophthalmology is a branch of science that deals with diagnosis and treatment of ophthalmic (eye) disorders. Retinoscopes, fundus cameras, ophthalmoscopes, visual field analyzers, autorefractors and keratometers, specular microscopes, and wavefront aberrometers are some commonly used optometry equipment. Ophthalmoscope is widely used to examine the interior of the eye. It consists of a light source with built-in mirrors and lenses that are particularly effective for examining the retina.

Optometry equipment are designed to prevent potential eye damage, disease, or injuries. Thus, the demand for optometry equipment has increased rapidly due to rapid development of new optometry equipment, increasing prevalence of eye disorders, and rising government initiatives to control visual impairment. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in the U.S., around 12 million people 40 years and over have vision impairment, including 1 million who are blind, 3 million who have vision impairment after correction, and 8 million who have vision impairment due to uncorrected refractive error.

Optometry equipment are used to examine deformities associated with eye structures and to diagnose eye-related systemic disorders. Moreover, these equipment are used for cataract and cornea examination, as well as glaucoma and retina examination. An automated refractor is used during an eye examination to provide an objective measurement of a person's refractive error and prescription for glasses or contact lenses. Furthermore, a phoropter is used during an eye examination to measure refractive error and determine eyeglass prescriptions. The test can be quick, easy, and reliably accurate and requires minimal cooperation from the patient.

As optometry has evolved into the realm of therapeutics, the use of new technologies has become integral to optometric care. These include fundus photography, corneal topography, optical coherence tomography (OCT), and wavefront aberrometry.