Skills & Techniques in assessing ophthalmic appliances

Order of techniques to be demonstrated:

1. Perform keratometry on each eye. State and record your findings.
2. Prepare the rigid gas permeable lens provided and place it on the patient's right eye.
3. Prepare the soft toric contact lens provided and place it on the patient's left eye.
4. Measure the eyeglasses provided. State and record the focal powers of the lenses, the focal power and height of the reading addition, the addition style and size, the separation of the distance optical centres, the base curve of each lens and the centre thickness of each lens.
5. Perform standard alignment on the glasses provided then adjust the spectacles to the patient including: i) nosepads, ii) pantoscopic angle, iii) bow (face form), iv) temple adjustment, v) levelling the front.
6. State and record the fitting characteristics of the RGP lens using fluorescein and the cobalt blue filter on the biomicroscope, including centration, blink lag and fluorescein pattern of the tear lens (flat, steep or aligned).
7. State and record the fitting characteristics of the soft toric contact lens including the centration, blink induced lag, version induced lag and rotation.
8. Remove the RGP lens from the patient’s right eye and clean it.
9. Remove the soft toric lens from the patient’s left eye and discard
    

Equipment provided in the room:

1. Examining chair, stool and equipment stand
2. Record paper and pen
3. Biomicroscope
4. Lensometer
5. Phoropter
6. Projected visual acuity chart (may be automated)
7. Keratometer
    

Equipment to be provided by the candidate:

1. PD ruler
2. Lens gauge
3. Lens calipers
4. Frame adjustment tools