The phoropter trapeze. A portable refractive support for remote clinics

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Medical Device Engineering

Background:

• Accurate refractive error assessment is crucial for vision correction.
• Standard phoropter use can be challenging in certain clinical settings.
• Innovative and cost-effective solutions are needed to improve accessibility to eye care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To engineer a low-cost, stable platform for phoropter suspension.
• To develop an accessible method for stabilizing ophthalmic equipment.

Main Methods:

• A trapeze apparatus was constructed using readily available, pre-threaded polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plumbing pipes.
• The device was suspended from an overhead point.
• A phoropter was attached to the trapeze and stabilized with patient-held handles.

Main Results:

• The engineered PVC trapeze successfully suspended and stabilized a phoropter.
• The design utilized inexpensive materials, demonstrating a cost-effective approach.
• Photographic illustrations document the device's construction and application.

Conclusions:

• A simple, inexpensive trapeze device can be effectively fabricated from PVC plumbing pipes.
• This apparatus provides a stable and accessible method for using a phoropter.
• The innovation offers a practical solution for enhancing ophthalmic examination setups, particularly in resource-limited environments.