American eye health is on the decline.
According to the National Eye Institute, the estimated number of people affected by the most common eye diseases (macular degeneration, cataract, diabetic retinopathy, and glaucoma) is expected to double or more than double by the year 2050—spotlighting the importance of routine eye exams to protect and preserve healthy vision.
Among the many tools and pieces of equipment used by modern ophthalmic professionals is the slit lamp biomicroscope (or simply slit lamp). The slit lamp is a type of microscope that illuminates the entire eye, along with the area around the eye (including the eyelids and eyelashes) with a powerfully focused beam of light.
Typically used in conjunction with an ophthalmoscope, a slit lamp allows doctors to more effectively gauge the health of the eye and identify any diseases, injuries, or underlying health issues. In fact, slit lamps help to magnify and spotlight different parts of the eye during a dilated eye exam, which is critical to diagnosing cataracts.
The history of the slit lamp
The predecessor to the modern slit lamp is the ophthalmoscope, which first allowed doctors to view the inner eye. Invented in 1851 by Hermann von Helmholtz, the “eye mirror” (as it was called at the time) transformed optometry by enabling the diagnosis of a range of eye conditions that had been previously undetectable.
Over the next several decades, the ophthalmoscope saw a handful of key improvements, including the addition of an attached light source, ultimately paving the way for the invention of the first-ever "slit lamp instrument" in 1916.
Since that time, there have been several redesigns of the basic slit lamp structure, including the addition of joysticks, cameras, and halogen lamps, along with wider configuration ranges and improved optics—making slit lamps one of the most familiar and crucial ophthalmic instruments in use today.
Slit lamps in the modern ophthalmic practice
Today’s slit lamp is a two-part instrument that allows doctors to get a precisely lit, magnified, three-dimensional (3D) view of both the outer and inner eye. This includes the anterior (front of eye) components such as the cornea, lens, and iris, as well as the vitreous gel that makes up the eye’s interior.
With the help of special lenses, doctors can also view posterior (back of eye) components such as the retina, optic nerve, and drainage angle, which is where fluid exits the eye.
Doctors may use slit lamps to check for:
- Foreign objects
- Cysts
- Ulcers
- Cataracts
- Conjunctivitis
- Iritis
- Glaucoma
- Macular degeneration
- Indications of diabetes
- Indications of rheumatoid arthritis
Veatch Ophthalmic Instruments is your trusted source for quality, top-name slit lamps.
Veatch is proud to offer a wide variety of state-of-the-art slit lamps from leading equipment manufacturers—including brands such as Keeler, Reichart, ReSeeVit, and Haag-Streit, along with our own Veatch brand slit lamps. All are known for exceptional reliability, superb functionality, pinpoint accuracy, and elegant design.
In addition, our highly skilled, factory-trained technicians are available to professionally set up and recalibrate your instruments upon purchase and can also provide both local and remote support when your slit lamp or any of its components needs maintenance or repair.
Browse our full selection of slit lamps or contact Veatch today to learn more.