Using a lensometer to check glasses (Video)


length: 1:39 minutes

This video shows the use of a lensometer, a device used to check the prescription in glasses. This device can be tricky for the novice technician to use, as you must align the glasses well and move two dials at the same time to hone in on the prescription.

Here are the steps:

1. Place glasses on platform and secure
2. Turn axis and focus nobs so that the SMALL lines are straight and focused
Write down the number. This is your sphere.
3. Turn the focus nob until the fat lines become focused, and look at the new number on the focus nob. The DIFFERENCE from your prior sphere value is the CYLINDER value. If you changed from +1.00 to +4.00, then your cylinder is +3.00. If you changed from +1.00 to -1.50, then your cylinder is -2.50. In other words, the cylinder can be a positive or negative number, depending upon the direction you have to turn the focus nob.
4. Check the degrees on the axis dial. This is your cylinder axis.

If you want to check the bifocal add:

5. Move the glasses so that the bifocal segment is being read.
6. Turn the focus nob again until the fat lines again become focussed.
The amount of change needed to refocus the fat lines will give you your bifocal power.

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Thumbnails (click to enlarge photo)

lensometer1.jpg lensometer2.jpg lensometer3.jpg


Comments and Feedback
28 Comments »


Thanks for your help in refreshing my memory…video was very concise and useful…

Comment by Judith Whitehead — July 19, 2008 @ 8:43 pm


many thnx4 your help in education plz send education video 4 my e mail

Comment by mah owes — July 22, 2008 @ 5:18 am


I’m glad you liked the video and thank you for commenting. Unfortunately, the video file is just too large in size to e-mail. You can download it directly, however, from the links above.

Comment by admin — July 22, 2008 @ 8:33 am


thank for your help in education pls send education video 4 my email especial in slitlamp technic tk.

Comment by senmeng — September 1, 2008 @ 1:28 am


Thanks for the help. I,m re-entering the job the work force as an optical dispenser. This was the best.

Comment by Cerise — November 10, 2008 @ 11:38 pm


Thanks for the help. I,m re-entering the work force as an optical dispenser. This was the best.

Comment by Cerise — November 10, 2008 @ 11:40 pm


thx alot 4 ur help in education plz send education video 4 my e mail

Comment by ibrahim — November 28, 2008 @ 7:15 am


thanks a lot for the information. please kindly send me in my E Mail Address all more about lensomater technique in reading the amount of prism induce in the lens. thanks

Comment by sheila beto — March 4, 2009 @ 6:04 am


thanks alot for all the information, it refreshes my memory. please kindly send me some slit lamp information technique. thanks.

Comment by sheila beto — March 4, 2009 @ 6:07 am


Thx so much in education, wld u plz send education video 4 my e mail. Cheers.

Comment by Jacky — March 6, 2009 @ 11:10 pm


thanks a lot for the information.plz send some more video for minus number$ compound number on my e mail.

Comment by harshil — March 17, 2009 @ 10:14 am


This flick just corrected 1 niche that i needed for perfection!

Comment by ROB — March 18, 2009 @ 2:10 am


Very nice, thank you.

However, I did hear somwhere that one has to turn the glasses upwards to get the correct result for certain lense???

Comment by B — April 2, 2009 @ 5:53 am


Went back into the wonderful field of optical again and thank-you for the refresher class on the use of the lensometer. Was very helpful. :) :) Just hoping to remember how to check prisms. THANKS AGAIN

Comment by Bonnie — May 6, 2009 @ 3:00 am


thanks for help in education

Comment by daud — June 4, 2009 @ 11:53 pm


Great video! Are the measurements independent of the lens refractive index?
Thanks

Comment by John Melaugh — July 9, 2009 @ 1:14 pm


Hey people, stop asking for junk to be sent “4 ur Email”. Learn some professionalism. Optical work isn’t done in a back alley you know.

Comment by Hank — July 14, 2009 @ 3:36 pm


THE ADD(BIFOCAL) POWER IS PROBALY A 2.25 ON THIS LENS. THE BIFOCAL POWER SHOULD BE CHECKED FROM THE BACK OF THE LENS, IE; FRONT VERTEX POWER FOR THE ADDED PORTION.

Comment by MARLIN — August 25, 2009 @ 7:15 am


thanks for this information. How do you check for prism in lenses.

Comment by sherma — September 11, 2009 @ 2:17 pm


These videos are the God’s gift and sure Timothy Root’s gift to ophthalmic Residents. Definitely it is the bible for better eye knowledge. Thank you Timothy Root :)
I hope that you can make a video illustrating Keratometry Readings for calculation of intraocular lens (Non automatic keratometer) .
Thank you from Russia, Kursk state medical uniVersity

Comment by Yassin — November 12, 2009 @ 7:52 am


thanks for this information…how do you check for prism in lenses….

Comment by cesar hernandez — November 13, 2009 @ 2:44 am


Dear Rootatlas.com,

Thank you guys so much for showing me how to use the Lensometer! I just started an optician apprenticeship, and really needed to know how to understand how to use this thing:) You guys made it super simple and easy to understand:) Thanks again!

Comment by Markus — March 24, 2010 @ 1:04 pm


The one basic thing missing was telling the student about focusing for either plus or minus cylinder. It would also be nice to show how to measure for prism. Maybe you could do that at some point in time. You really have nice video presentations and I really enjoy your site.

Thank you.

Comment by Susan — May 12, 2010 @ 4:26 pm


Hi Tim Root
Congratulations on getting the number 1 google spot for lensometer. Hope all is well and BP doesn’t crush your dream of the beach front gulf coast home in Florida.
Jake Moore

Comment by jake — June 25, 2010 @ 1:55 pm


That is a great Video! This type of information can be very useful when organizing staff meetings. What a great tool for the new hire.

Comment by Mary — July 6, 2010 @ 6:51 pm


Great video. I’m linking to it from a new site I just started for optician apprentices. It may be useful to also show what it would look like without a cyl and axis as well as what a prism would look like. Thanks!

Comment by Laura — July 22, 2010 @ 8:17 am


very concise and helpful

Comment by Mohammed — July 24, 2010 @ 3:07 pm


Tu informacion esta barbara me ayudo muchisimo a refrescar mi memoria,podrias enviarme, algun ejemplo mas con prisma y si es un multifocal.Muchisimas gracias.
laura

Comment by Laura — July 26, 2010 @ 10:32 pm


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