The iScreen Vision Screener 3000 is a specialized pediatric ophthalmic camera, known as a photoscreener, that is designed to capture digital images of red reflex and corneal light reflex images from the eyes. Physicians may also use an ophthalmoscope to capture a red reflex or corneal light reflex; however the use of an ophthalmoscope requires specialized training, can be time-consuming, and can be challenging under certain conditions, particularly with younger children who won’t sit still. In addition, a photoscreener captures a permanent image of the red reflex and corneal light reflex, while an ophthalmoscope does not create any digital imagery of the eyes.
In addition to photoscreeners, there are many other types of eye test machines or eye test equipment, which are designed for different purposes, such as measuring refraction of the eyes. These include retinal cameras, which capture a digital image of the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye, known as the retina; autorefractors (also called auto refractors or handheld autorefractors or auto-refractors or portable autorefractors), which are devices designed to measure refraction in the eyes. The refraction of light is what allows our eyes to focus correctly. A refraction test, also known as an eye test or vision test, is the test that an eye doctor performs to check a person’s vision or eyesight. Refraction tests are designed to detect refractive errors, which occur when eye problems such as myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia (far sightedness) or astigmatism (irregularly shaped cornea) prevent light from focusing properly on the retina.