Advantages of Adding a Camera to Your Slit Lamp
Slit lamps are becoming ubiquitous in optometrist and ophthalmologist offices. This piece of equipment provides eye doctors with a detailed, up-close view of the eyeball, and the fine detail allows detection of slight changes of corneal findings, such as infections or edema.
While slit lamps are not typically equipped with a camera built into the lens, an increasing number of eye doctors are adding them to improve patient care.
What Are Slit Lamps?
A slit lamp functions as a powerful biomicroscope with a pivoting illuminator, allowing a specialist to closely examine individual parts of the eye in unrivaled detail. Such microscopic focus allows abnormalities and potential problems to be easily detected, which can result in earlier diagnoses of ocular conditions/diseases and improved chances for successful treatment and management.
Some examples of common diseases and conditions spotted with aid of a slit lamp include:
- Macular degeneration
- Detached retinas
- Conjunctivitis
- Cataracts
- Corneal infiltrates
Why Add a Camera to a Slit Lamp?
A slit lamp camera allows the eye care specialist to capture both individual photos and videos using a high-resolution, digital camera they can control. This allows doctors to record part or all of the examination, and to save any individual still images as findings.
Slit lamp photography enhances patient care by offering unparalleled detail, which cannot be achieved by the naked eye and slit lamp alone. Specifically, the added photography component makes it possible to detect extremely slight changes of corneal findings for a more accurate examination. If a potential issue is detected, eye care specialists can better educate and inform patients by showing them photos or video of the findings. After all, some ocular diseases and conditions can be difficult for patients to understand without their seeing the issues for themselves.
How to Add a Camera to a Slit Lamp
Some eye care professionals are hesitant to make the switch to slit lamp photography because they assume it means buying entirely new equipment. But it’s possible to add a camera to most slit lamps using a simple adapter, which saves eye care specialists the added cost of a new slit lamp.
If you’re interested in improving patient care in your eye care office, Coburn Technologies is here to help. We carry a wide variety of quality ophthalmic equipment. Contact our knowledgeable team today, and we’ll be happy to discuss your office’s specific needs and help you find solutions that fit them.
