new to this career

[gwall]

I have been working in an Optometry Clinic on an Army post (Arizona) for a few months and was recently promoted to technician. They sent me to Florida for a 2 day training class at the company where they recently purchased a Marco 5100 Auto Refractor. I would like to know where I can get my hands on a simple book with step by step instructions on auto refracting. Please help!

[sharonm516]

I have been working in an Optometry Clinic on an Army post (Arizona) for a few months and was recently promoted to technician. They sent me to Florida for a 2 day training class at the company where they recently purchased a Marco 5100 Auto Refractor. I would like to know where I can get my hands on a simple book with step by step instructions on auto refracting. Please help!

Really? Autorefracting is super simple...just depends on the machine you are using. I have used the Marco....
Have you worked as a tech before?

[gwall]

No. This is a first for me. I know how to measure glasses (lensometry), but the auto refracting (with the little computer - Marco) is confusing to me. Any suggestions would be helpful!

[HarryChiling]

No. This is a first for me. I know how to measure glasses (lensometry), but the auto refracting (with the little computer - Marco) is confusing to me. Any suggestions would be helpful!

I don't know that particular equipment but I'll give it a shot.

• Clean the chin and head rest with an acohol pad (do this before the patient is seated)
• Instruct the patient to place their chin in the chin rest and place their forehead all the way forward agains the head rest.
• Use the joystick to position the mires (or cross hairs or whatever focusing target your equipment uses) usually moving it right to left will position it horizontally while rotating the joystick will position it vertically line up the right eye first.
• Then focus the mires, this is done by moving the joystick towards or away from the patient until the mires are in focus.
• Next instruct the patient to try and keep their eye's wide open and feel free to blink naturally.
• Then immediately press the button.
• Now repeat the steps on the left eye, when complete clean the chin and head rest once again and print the ticket.

I clean before and after because I have others in the offie and lets just say that no matter how much you explain disinfection to some folks they just don't get it, so it's better to be safe than sorry and it will put those germaphobes at ease when they see you clean before and after.

At some point it is inevitable that someone asks what this machine does, you can say it takes a quick reading by bouncing rays off of your retina untill they are focused, this allows the doctor to eliminate a great number of lenses from the refraction so that it saves time and saves you, the patient, from being fatigued from the process.

That's the quick and dirty of it, if you have a few bucks I highly suggest:
http://www.amazon.com/Ophthalmic-***...=onlinoptic-20

It's a technicians bible, 900 pages has pictures and instructions for commonly used equipment as well as common office procedures jam packed with info.. Good luck.

[gwall]

to "Harry"... what you posted, I do know that part of the auto refract. Its the testing that is done to the patients, that I am not familiar with yet. (ie., is line 1 clear, or 2 or are they about the same....etc.) That little computer board (by Marco) which is part of the auto-refractor equipment, is confusing to me.

[HarryChiling]

to "Harry"... what you posted, I do know that part of the auto refract. Its the testing that is done to the patients, that I am not familiar with yet. (ie., is line 1 clear, or 2 or are they about the same....etc.) That little computer board (by Marco) which is part of the auto-refractor equipment, is confusing to me.

Auto Refracting = Using the automated equipment to get a rough prescription it's point and click.

Refracting = That's the process the doctor uses in the office which is so eloquently refered to as flipping dials.

If you are curious about refracting it's never going to be broken down into a useful guide here, it's not a step by step process but mor a fluid combination of moves that will change based upon the patients actions, age, and various other factors.

http://eyetec.net/cat_subj.htm

Go to the refractometry and retinoscopy section, it's breif but it will help you understand the basics of the process.

[donovanbaldwin]

I don't know how complicated computers have made things in the 11 years I was out of the business, but when I was still working for an optometrist in Austin in the mid-90's as the lab manager, he ran into the lab one day and said, "Come help me out!! We're swamped!"

He then dragged me into the room with the autorefractor and showed me what to do with the next patient. Then he left the room and more patients came through and I did the testing on them.

I guess adding some sort of computer to improve the product has made it more complicated, but back when I learned it, the patient came in, you chatted to relax them a little, had them look into the thing and pushed a button.

Harry's description sounds pretty much like what I did back then.

[rbaker]

I have been working in an Optometry Clinic on an Army post (Arizona) for a few months and was recently promoted to technician. They sent me to Florida for a 2 day training class at the company where they recently purchased a Marco 5100 Auto Refractor. I would like to know where I can get my hands on a simple book with step by step instructions on auto refracting. Please help!

RTFM . . . What, no FM?

There really should be a field manual (or manufacturers manual) hidden away somewhere on site. You might also go to the web site of the equipment manufacturer as they probably have the documentation you are seeking available for download.

Always refer to the official documentation as your source of information. Ninety percent of your colleagues really don’t know diddley squat.

[michelkhan]

After going through your post i'm suggest you visit Land Mark, this a shop where you can get everything that you require.