FloatScope™
FloatScope is a hand-held device for self-examination of the eye. FloatScope can help monitor various ocular health conditions such as:
Floaters. These are objects that move around when you move your eyes.
Opacities in the cornea and eye lens. These are fixed in place but you can see their shadow on the retina when using FloatScope.
Functioning of the iris. Specifically, you can view the iris changing its size when the amount of light that enters the eyes changes.
What Are Floaters:
Floaters are opaque or semi-opaque deposits (e.g. dead cells) that float inside the eye. They can have various shapes and sizes, and they move around when you move your eyes side-to-side or up-and-down. You can see floaters because they create shadows on your retina (see image below).
How FloatScope Works:
If you place a point source of light close to the eye, a beam of light illuminates part of the retina. Every such point on the retina gets illuminated by a "single ray of light" (see image below). This enables the viewer to see and inspect opacities in his/her own visual system. For instance, a clear and sharp image of floaters is imaged on the retina.
FloatScope creates a point source of light by using a light source (a standard pen flashlight), optical components (to absorb, reflect, and diffuse light) and a pinhole. The optical components reduce harmful radiation that might exist from your flashlight and ensure homogeneous radiation at the pinhole. When the pinhole is positioned along the viewer's optical axis and close to the eye, floaters as well as other opacities in the eye are imaged on the retina of the viewer.
Optical Components:
FloatScope contains the following components:
- Pinhole (laser drilled 0.1mm diameter).
- Diffuser.
- UV reflector to block UV light that might exist from your flashlight.
- IR absorber to reduce infrared radiation that might exist from your flashlight.
Important: Use FloatScope for educational purposes only. FloatScope should not be used for diagnosing eye problems or as a replacement for a professional eye exam.
Click here to purchase FloatScope.
Note: We have released a cell phone application for viewing eye floaters (see our US patent application). The application displays a pinhole that can be pulsed and change in size. If you have eye floaters, this application can help you see a clear and sharp image of your floaters. Currently available for Android and BlackBerry phones.
Get it from the Android Market:
Get it from BlackBerry App World:
