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Technical Note: A comparison of a novel direct ophthalmoscope, the Optyse(TM), to conventional direct ophthalmoscopes.

Harle DE, Davies K, Shah R, Hussain S, Cowling S, Panesar TK, Bourton J, Evans BJ

The Neville Chappell Research Clinic, The Institute of Optometry, 56-62 Newington Causeway, London SE1 6DS, UK.

Despite the current popularity of binocular indirect ophthalmoscopy, direct ophthalmoscopes are still commonly used by clinicians for fundus examination. They are considered to be expensive, however, and it has been suggested that this cost can prevent their use by healthcare professionals in developing countries. The Optyse(TM) Lens Free Ophthalmoscope is a novel direct ophthalmoscope, without a lens focus system, that allows for comparatively inexpensive manufacture and supply. We compared the clarity of view with the Optyse(TM) to that with standard direct ophthalmoscopes, over a sequential cohort of patients with a variety of refractive errors and ocular conditions. The grade of clarity of view with the Optyse(TM) Lens Free Ophthalmoscope was less than conventional ophthalmoscopes (Wilcoxon signed rank test, p < 0.0001). This grade of clarity of view was not associated with the ametropia of the ophthalmoscopic observation (Spearman r </= 0.03, p >/= 0.28) but was with the presence of cataracts (chi(2) test, p < 0.0001) with both the Optyse(TM) and the conventional ophthalmoscopes. Despite its limitations, the retinal view with Optyse(TM) was often within acceptable clinical limits suggesting that this relatively inexpensive ophthalmoscope may have a place when cost prohibits any other type of ophthalmoscope use.

Published 22 January 2007 in Ophthalmic Physiol Opt, 27(1): 100-5.
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