Biomedical Engineering Approach to Improving Measurement Accuracy in Auto-Refractometers

This research is intended to propose scientific methods, and operational practices that can help improve autorefractometer performance, and enhance its accuracy to measurements. To achieve this, interviews shall be scheduled with various optometrists, opticians, ophthalmologists, and biomedical engineers specializing in ophthalmic equipment. A structured questionnaire will be used to collect the data. The questionnaire will comprise both closed-ended and open-ended questions that could accommodate all the required data. Each demographic will have its questionnaire. For optometrists, questions will focus on the auto-refractometry processes and the readings obtained from patients they see. As for biomedical engineers, questions will focus on auto refractometer
maintenance and servicing practices and effects. A standard patient questionnaire MUST be adopted by all optometrists as a standard before auto-refractometer exercise, and this will help eliminate any chance of false results due to lack of knowledge of patient history, and patient preparation. It also is worth an investment for any eye care facility to acquire a calibration eye model for calibrating and controlling autorefractometers in an event of inconsistent results, after servicing or repair, and also manufacturers should consider availing affordable calibration kits or eye model to enable even small eye centers to acquire it. Modern auto-refractometers mostly employ the technique of Scheiner’s double pin hole refraction. Finally, with the available technology, we are a long way to fully replacing the Visual acuity charts with autorefractometers, though this is still a very area of research and improvement.

Keywords: Autorefractometer, Biomedical Engineering, Measurement Accuracy.