An ophthalmoscope is used to examine the eye, including the retina, and can provide information relevant to other medical fields. The most common type uses a concave mirror and variable lens disc. There are also indirect ophthalmoscopes. The device was first developed by Johannes Purkinje in 1823, but Hermann von Helmholtz is often credited with the invention.
An ophthalmoscope is a medical instrument used to examine the eye. It is very important for a doctor to be able to view the inside of the eye, including the retina, located at the back of the eye. While it’s most often used to diagnose eye conditions, the information gleaned through an eye exam can be relevant to many other medical fields, including cardiology, neurology, and pediatrics. It has become one of the most commonly seen and recognized medical screening devices.
The most common type of ophthalmoscope consists of a concave mirror that reflects a small amount of light inside the instrument. A doctor examines the eye by looking through a monocular eyepiece into the patient’s eye. Different depths of the eye at different magnifications can be viewed by rotating a variable lens disc within the instrument itself. A routine eye exam can be done quickly in a doctor’s office. If there is a need for a more thorough examination, doctors sometimes dilate the patient’s pupils beforehand, to provide a clearer and wider view of the inside of the eye.
The type of ophthalmoscope described above is also known as a direct ophthalmoscope. Less commonly used is the indirect ophthalmoscope, although these operate on essentially the same principle. They usually consist of a light attached to a headband that is worn by the doctor. The doctor uses a portable lens to examine the eye. This type of instrument can provide a wider view of the eye, and is still quite useful, even if there are cataracts in the lens of the eye that would otherwise obscure vision.
As is the case with many inventions, more than one person can be said to have invented the ophthalmoscope. The first physician to make a device to view the retina was Johannes Purkinje in 1823. In 1847, Charles Babbage developed a very functional first version of the device, but did not publicize the invention widely. The man who did this was the German physician Hermann von Helmholtz, in 1850. He modified the previous design slightly and made it a model for demonstration.
For these reasons, Helmholtz is often credited with the invention. The first people to develop an ophthalmoscope resembling the modern ones we know were Josh Zele and Jon Palumbo. In 1915, they made a portable version similar to those used in doctors’ offices today.
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