What is an ophthalmoscope?

Ophthalmoscope is a medical tool used to explore the eye. It is very important that the doctor can display the inside of the eye, including the retina, which is located at the rear of the eye. Although most commonly used to diagnose eye conditions, information collected by the eye test may be relevant to many other medical areas, including cardiology, neurology and pediatrics. He became one of the most commonly visible and recognized medical screening facilities.

The most common type of ophthalmoscope consists of a concave mirror that reflects small light inside the tool. The doctor examines the eye by looking through the monocular eyepiece into the patient's eye. It is possible to display different eye depths at different magnification by turning the disk changing lenses inside the tool itself. Routine eye examination can be made quickly in the doctor's office. If it is needed for a more thorough examination, the doctor will sometimes expand the patient's pupils in advance 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. An indirect opalmoscope is less commonly used, although they work on the same principle. They usually consist of light connected to the headband worn by the doctor. The doctor uses a hand lens to explore the eye. This type of instrument can provide a wider view of the eye and is still quite useful, although in the lens of the eye there are cataracts that would otherwise cover the look.

As with many inventions, more than one person invented an ophthalmoscope. The first doctor to create a retina viewing device was Johannes Burkinje in 1823. In 1847 Charles Babbage developed a very functional early version of the device, but did not publish the invention widely. The man who did it was German doctor Hermann von Helmholtz in 1850. He slightly modified the earlier design and created it for demonstration.

For these reasons, Helmholtz is often ptipped by invention. The first people who developed an ophthalmoscope that resemble the modern ones we know was Josh Zele and Jon Palumbo. In 1915 they came up with a hand version, which is now similar to those used today in the offices of doctors.