Lensometer Lecture 11

Lensometer
Lensometry measures the power or degree of eyeglasses or contact lenses using
a lensmeter, an instrument sometimes referred to as a focimeter, vertometer, or
Lensometer. The two common indications for lensometry are measuring the
power of spectacles during an ophthalmic examination and verifying spectacle
prescriptions created in an optical laboratory. Lensometry is based on the
concept of lens neutralization. The image below illustrates the two types:
manual and automatic. Utilized by opticians and optometrists.

Uses of lensometer
➢ Single Vision lenses
➢ Bifocal lenses
➢ Trifocal lenses
➢ Progressive Addition lenses
➢ Determine the Sphere power
➢ Determine the Cylindrical lens power
➢ Mark the optical center
➢ Contact lens power
➢ Power of prism

Types lensometer
1- manual lensometer can be defined as an instrument used by an optometrist
to find the back-vertex or the front vertex power of the eyeglasses. A manual
lensometer is portable and can be carried anywhere. But a person needs to

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have a better idea to measure the power of a lens.

2- Automated lensometer It is a fully automatic well-programmed device
primarily used in clinics. It is easy and faster and can print prescriptions. It is
less accurate when compared to a manual lensometer.

Parts Of Manual Lensometer:

• Eyepiece: It is that part of the lensometer through which the viewer can
view the internal components of the lensometer.
• Lens holder: It is used to hold the lens in its proper position.
• Lens table: It provides a resting place for the spectacle frame while
neutralizing the power of the lens.
• table lever: It helps raise or lower the level of the spectacle table
according to the user
• Lens marker: The handle control’s the pins and is used to mark the
optical center or the prism reference points.
• Power wheel: It is used to clear the filter and find out the spherical and
cylindrical power of the given lens.
• axis wheel: It rotates the target to find the cylindrical axis.
How to use Lensometer
1. The device is worked and the standard is set to find the clear target at ZERO
degrees by rotating the eyepiece clockwise and counterclockwise.

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2. Put lens or the eyeglasses to be measured on lens table and lowering the lens
holder to fix in the center of the grid, and one of the hands must be holding the
power wheel.
3. Because of the placement of the lens in the device, the target in grid will
become unclear, so we move the power wheel up or down to obtain accurate
clarity.
4. If the target (the circle in green) is clear for both axes together, then the lens
type is SPHERICAL

5. If the target is clear on one axis and the other is not clear, then this means that
the lens is CYLINDRICAL.

Analyzing the Spherical lenses

▪ Move the lens such that the target is exactly at the center.
▪ Rotate the power drum until target is clear and sharp (all the dots at the
center should be separate & sharp)
▪ Stop rotating the power drum when the target is sharp for the first time.
▪ Always count the upper mark on the power scale for accuracy of the
spherical power of the lens.

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Analyzing the Cylindrical lens

▪ The process of Neutralizing a toric lens when compared to spherical lens is
completely a different concept.
▪ with the help of few tips we will be able to measure the lens power very fast
and accurately.
▪ The key and the most important thing to remember is the central orientation
of the dots.
➔ Step 1:-
Move the lens so that the target is at the center of the protractor. This gives the
optical center location.

➔ Step 2:-
• Rotate the power drum so that the central lines (oriented in one direction).

➔ Step 3 :
Rotate the axis wheel so that one meridian of the target is parallel to the
orientation of the central lines.
Note that only one meridian of the target will be sharp. As the 180° meridian is
sharp in this picture, the target is clearly in the form of a cylinder (close and

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parallel horizontal lines), then we read the degree that represents the FIRST
reading, as in the figure below.

Rotate the power drum to obtain the SECOND reading, which is perpendicular
to the axis of the first reading, which will appear in the form of a cylinder
(close and parallel vertical lines) as shown in the figure below

the first reading is the spherical lens, while the second reading is the cylindrical
lens, and the axis is taken from the second reading

Measurement of Bifocal
For measuring the distance correction of a bifocal lens, the lens measured at the
optical center. The optical center of a conventional bifocal lens is just above the
center of the horizontal line of the bifocal lens and read the near correction from
the center of the lower segment.
For determining add power, turn glasses around to read from front vertex.

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Measurement of Trifocal
As with the bifocal, read the distance correction just above the segment line,
and read the near correction from the center of the lower segment.

Measurement of Progressive lenses

➢ Locate the center to make the reading accurate, otherwise is similar to the
simple lensometery.
➢ All new pair contain sticker on it, which describe geometry of lens.
➢ The add power is read through the lower/nasal area of the lens
➢ Conventional progressive addition is measured from front vertex
➢ Automated is more suitable for this purpose.

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Measurement of prism
➢ Prism moves (deflects) the lensometer target away from the center of the
reticle.
➢ The target is deflected in the direction of the prism base.
➢ When viewing the mires, lines may be off-center.
➢ The rings inside the lensometer are measured at 1 prism diopter.
➢ The number of rings from the center of the reticle that the lines are over is
the amount of prism in the glasses.

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Limitations of Manual focimeter

✓ Although it is good for single vision lenses, but may misguide in addition
determination of bifocal/trifocal lenses.
✓ Power varies with 0.25D difference don't calculate 0.12D difference. O
Difficult in case of progressive lenses.
✓ Can cause damage to the contact lenses.

Automated Focimeter
Principle:
The degree to which a beam of light is deflected as it passes through the lens
depends on the focal and prismatic power of the lens and the distance from its
optical center.
Working
1. A square pattern of four parallel beam of light is
passed through the lens to be tested.
2. It is quick and easy, minimum expertise required
to handle.
3. Accuracy is variable with machine to machine.

Important Uses:
It can used for accuracy in all conditions:
➢ Proper centration/ decentration
➢ Axis Marking.
➢ Measuring power of near addition lens (bifocal, trifocal, progressive)
difference.

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➢ IPD measurement of lens mounted spectacle.

‫مطلوبات‬

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