Lensometer

&
Lens Clock/Gauge

Man Mohan Shah

M.Optom 1st yr
Date:- 07/12/2017
 Contents

• Power specification: Basics

• Lens gauge
• Lensometer

2
 Power specification

• Approximate power
• Vertex power
– Back vertex power
– Front vertex power
• Equivalent power
• Effective power

3
Clinical optics – Troy E Fannin
 Approximate power

• The approximate power of an ophthalmic lens is

given by the simple formula
• FA= F1+F2
– where F1and F2 are the front and back surface powers,
measured by the lens measure

4
Clinical optics – Troy E Fannin
 Back vertex power

• Defined
  as the reciprocal of the reduced distance
from the back pole of the lens to the secondary focal
point
• F V = + F2

5
Clinical optics – Troy E Fannin
 Front Vertex power

• Also
  known as Neutralizing power.
• Defined as the negative reciprocal of the reduced
distance from the front pole of the lens to its primary
focal point
• F N = F1 +

6
Clinical optics – Troy E Fannin
 Equivalent power

• The focal length of the thin lens that will produce an

image size and an image position similar to those
produced by the system is called equivalent focal
length. The reciprocal of the equivalent focal length
in meters is defined as the equivalent power
• F E = F2 + F 1 – c F 1 F 2
– Where c reduced thickness, t/n

7
Clinical optics – Troy E Fannin
 Effective power

• Defined
  as the ability of the lens to focus parallel rays
of light at a given plane
• Major use is to indicate the change in lens power
required, if lens is moved from one position to
another in front of patient's eyes
• FE =

8
Clinical optics – Troy E Fannin
 Lens measure/Clock/Gauge

• Measures refracting power of a surface

• Has two fixed pins and a central with spring loaded,
movable pin

1. Clinical optics – Troy E Fannin 9

2. System for ophthalmic dispensing- Ivrin M Borish
 • Operates on the principle of the sagittal depth (sag)
formula
– sagittal depth(sag) is the height or depth of a given segment
of a circle

1. Clinical optics – Troy E Fannin 10

2. System for ophthalmic dispensing- Ivrin M Borish
 • Doesn’t show the sag value, but rather shows dioptric
value for the surface power
• Vertical difference between the positions of the two
outer contact points and the center point is the sag for
the arc of a circle
• This power is based on an assumed index of
refraction of 1.53/1.523
• Power shown on the lens measure is obtained by
using the sagittal depth of the surface

1. Clinical optics – Troy E Fannin 11

2. System for ophthalmic dispensing- Ivrin M Borish
 The Sagittal Depth Formula

• h  2 + (r-s) 2 = r2
• r2= h2 + r2 +s2 -2rs
• When the quantity s is small in relation to r, as in the
case of an ophthalmic lens, the quantity s2 may be
dropped from the formula
• 2rs= h2
• s= or r=
• Approximate sag formula- diameter is small and the
radius of curvature is long

1. Clinical optics – Troy E Fannin 12

2. System for ophthalmic dispensing- Ivrin M Borish
 • r=
 
• =
• F=

1. Clinical optics – Troy E Fannin 13

2. System for ophthalmic dispensing- Ivrin M Borish
 Drawbacks

• Calibrated for only one index

– Need of conversion factor to calculate for power for other
index
• Improper placement of gauge cause error in value
• Lens thickness wasn’t taken into consideration
• Problematic in finding major axes in cylindrical
lenses

1. Clinical optics – Troy E Fannin 14

2. System for ophthalmic dispensing- Ivrin M Borish
 Lensometer

• Use to measure power of the lenses: back vertex

power or front vertex power of the lens, also prism
power

• Also known as lensmeter, focimeter and vertometer

15
Clinical optics – Troy E Fannin
 History

• Antoine claudet (1849) –photographometer

– measure the intensity of photogenic rays

• Herman Snellen (1876)- phakometer

– test accuracy of lenses, similar to the optical bench

• Troppman (1912) - direct measuring instrument

• In 1922- first projection lensometer

16
www.veatchininstruments.com/about-lensometer
 Types

• Two types available:

1) Standard or telescopic lensometers
2) Automatic or electronic lensometers

17
Clinical optics – Troy E Fannin
 Purpose of Lensometer

• Verify the correct prescription

• To properly orient and mark uncut lenses

• To verify the amount of prism and addition power in

spectacle

• Also verify the power of the contact lens

18
Clinical optics – Troy E Fannin
 Standard Lensometer

• Based on Badal’s principle:

– The standard positive power lens is located at a distance
equal to its focal length from the aperture stop against
which the spectacle lens is placed

19
Clinical optics – Troy E Fannin
 Parts of Lensometer
Eyepiece Spring Clip
Table
Lens Stop

Axis Dial

Optic Centre
Marker

Power
Wheel

20
 Optics and basic structure

• Focusing system
• Observation system

21
Clinical optics – Troy E Fannin
 Focusing system

• Consist of a light source, a movable target, a standard

lens of power +20.00 D to +25.00 D (collimating
lens), and a lens stop with a small central aperture
• Target may be
• crossed line target (American optical system)
• Ring dot system (European optical system)

22
Clinical optics – Troy E Fannin
 Observation system

• An afocal telescope, low-powered Keplerian type

with an objective lens, a reticle located in the
secondary focal plane of the objective lens, and an
adjustable eyepiece
• Eyepiece graticule or Reticule (R) incorporated inside
the observation system which has a scale for
measurement of axis & prism power

23
Clinical optics – Troy E Fannin
24
 Optical system

25
Clinical optics – Troy E Fannin
 In Concave and convex lens

26
Clinical optics – Troy E Fannin
 Procedure

• Preparation of the instrument

• Points for attention in operation

• Placement of the lens

• Measurement of the spherical lens

• Measurement of the cylindrical lens

Clinical optics – Troy E Fannin
27
Amcon lensometer user’s manual
 Preparation of the instrument

• Place the instrument on the working table, adjust the

inclination, connect with power source

• Adjust the eyepiece graticule

• Make sure power drum wheel is at zero & focused

target is visible

Clinical optics – Troy E Fannin

28
Amcon lensometer user’s manual
 Points for attention in operation

• Observer should wear his refractive correction if any,

for accurate power measurement

29
Clinical optics – Troy E Fannin
 Placement of the lens

• The lens is placed on lens rest with front surface of

the lens facing up ward for Back
• Lightly release the lens holder so that it hold the lens
in place

30
Clinical optics – Troy E Fannin
 • To find the back vertex power, place the concave side
of lens against lens stop
• To find the front vertex power, place the convex side
of lens against lens stop

31
Clinical optics – Troy E Fannin
 Determination of Spherical lens power

• Rotate the power wheel till the lines (or the spots) get
focused
• If the power is spherical, all the lines (or spots) will
be clear at one position of power wheel
• Record the power according to power wheel

32
Clinical optics – Troy E Fannin
 Determination of Cylindrical lens power &
axis
• If both the lines do not come into focus at the same
time, the lens has a cylindrical component

• Turn the power wheel and axis drum simultaneously

until any one set of lines come into focus

• Record power indicated on power wheel at its

denoted axis

33
Clinical optics – Troy E Fannin
 • Turn the power wheel until another set of lines come
into focus and take reading from power drum
• Record the power indicated on power wheel at
denoted axis which is right angle to the 1st axis
• Difference between the power of both the meridian is
the amount of cylinder

34
Clinical optics – Troy E Fannin
 Bifocal Lens Measurement

• Measure the distance portion of bifocal lenses, in the

same way as with single vision lenses
• Turn the glasses around backward so that the temples
face the operator
• Find the distance front vertex power
• Find the near front vertex power
• Record the addition power (Add), which is the
difference between the distance and near
prescriptions

35
Clinical optics – Troy E Fannin
 Progressive additional lens
measurement
• Mark the progressive lens: -
– Fitting cross
– distance circle
– Near circle
• Marking is done with the help of PAL layout card

36
 • Measure the power of distance portion by placing the
distance circle on the lens rest aperture

• For near power by placing near circle on the lens rest

aperture

• Difference between the near & distance power is the

near add

37
Clinical optics – Troy E Fannin
 Prism Measurement

• Measured based on the position of the target

• Any lens with prism cause target to be decentered toward

the base of prism

• Turn the graticule to align the centre of decentered target

• Power of prism & base orientation is recorded by reading

the position of target in graticule line(reticule scale)

38
Clinical optics – Troy E Fannin
 Prism Measurement

39
System for ophthalmic dispensing- Ivrin M Borish
 Sources of Error

• Failure to focus the eyepiece

• Zero setting & axis alignment

• Centration of the reticule & target

• Not keeping the lens close to lens stop

40
Clinical optics – Troy E Fannin
 Calibration and adjustment of Lensometer

• Eyepiece adjustment: - remember zero setting

– If the dioptric scale reading is not zero, the scale setting is
incorrect
– With many instruments, possible to reset the scale to the
correct reading
– Should be checked with known high-powered lenses too
• Indicate Lens stop and standard lens error
• Centration of the reticle and the target: checked by
rotating them and seeing their centration
– To avoid errors in prism measurement

41
Clinical optics – Troy E Fannin
 Automated lensometer

• Different instruments employs a different principle in

determining the measurements
• Measures very quick and reduce operator error and
offering repeatable measurements

42
Clinical optics – Troy E Fannin
 • Measures single, bifocal, multifocal, and progressive
lens and prism power
• Also measures pupillary distance (PD), and check the
ultraviolet (UV) light transmittance

43
Clinical optics – Troy E Fannin
 Working Principle

• Include a mounting device to support and center a

lens to be tested along an axis
• First and second arrays of light source patterns are
positioned at different optical distances from the
mounted lens and are projected along the axis through
the lens
• The images of the projected patterns are captured and
stored in a camera imaging device
• A processor compares the pattern and derive the
refractive power of the lens
44
https://www.google.com/patents/US5331394
 Optics

45
https://www.google.com/patents/US5247341
46
 Manual Vs Automated Lensometer

Manual Lensometer: Automated Lensometer:

• Accurate (as gold • Easy, Quick
standard) • Reproducibility
• Affordable • Measures maximum
• Operate on low power parameter at a time
too (Battery) • Eliminates human
• Time taking error (arithmetic)

47
48
49
Thank you

50
 Reference

• Clinical optics – Troy E Fannin

• System for ophthalmic dispensing- Ivrin M Borish
• www.veatchininstruments.com/about-lensometer
• Amcon lensometer user’s manual
• https://www.google.com/patents/US5331394
• https://www.google.com/patents/US5247341

51
52
53