Description
All the benefits of automated digital refraction at a small cost.
Older interface is far behind the RT-5100; console has an ‘older’ design feel about it.
A very affordable way to get into digital subjective refraction, despite some age.
Overview
Overview
So you’re tired of using that old traditional phoropter, and you want something to impress patients- maybe even make your practice look cooler. Any digital refractor will certainly do that, but will it make you more efficient– after all, anything digital in the Ophthalmic world is touted as an efficient alternative to the way things were. Our favorite answer (to most questions) applies here as well- it depends. When the horse and buggy was replaced by motor cars the world quickly understood its more-efficient substitution and the demand was seemingly limitless. The digital refractor however, despite some whom claim it has replaced the horse-and-buggy equivalent “phoropter,” has not seen such a meteoric rise in replacing the older and completely manual instrument. We do see more and more practices making the switch, however it has not taken the universal exam room position like some may have predicted. We did our best to examine why exactly this is and our best guess stems from the following two reasons: 1). Digital Refractors are expensive (at least the new ones are) 2). They’re only marginally more efficient. The NIDEK RT-2100 is however not so expensive, and when compared to the competition of the manual phoropter, it would seem like a worthy investment. Will it help you see more patients? It once again depends. We do believe all digital refractors marginally shorten the refractive process, however the operator is still required to press/switch/toggle buttons. A custom set program definitely shortens the time it takes to flip through the charts, and since no operator is a computer we do believe this cuts valuable time that would otherwise be spent flipping through all thing necessary for a subjective refraction. We can confidently say a digital refractor is much easier to use in terms of ergonomics; with the help of a set program and a comfy chair, all things can be done by merely pressing a buttons (or two) at your optimal position. It may also help your patients feel more comfortable seeming that your fingers aren’t mere inches from their face. The RT-2100 integrates with EPIC 2100 Refraction Systems as well however we prefer the instrument on the ol’ chair and stand.