Heh, first off, I'm a consumer. Second, I'm irritated consumer.

As a kid I wore an eye patch to help deal with dominant-eye syndrome, but even now at age 33 I still notice the effects of this condition. I can see with my left eye reasonably well but it is hard to focus clearly on details or read text easily, since the right eye is still so dominant.

This makes eye exams especially aggravating because for my left eye the optometrist says "Is 1 or 2 better?" Um, well. I am not exactly sure what I am seeing here doc, so uh, why don't YOU tell me which is better?


And really, it seems highly odd to me that in this age of computerization and cheap, incredibly powerful digital imaging systems, that no one has come up with a way to digitize and map the shape of the retina, and determine my exact prescription without any input on my part.

The astigmatism testing done with a phoropter seems to be rather crude anyway. Instead, scan the retina for a precise astigmatism map. Go beyond mere cylinder to imaging an actual 3D contour map of the eyeball shape, with matching contoured optics for more a pefect correction, then do some in-out focus limit/range tests to find the focusing abilities of the lens muscles, to find the optimal prescription.

Probably this could be all done in about five minutes with a digital laser scanning/measurement system. "Here's your prescription, sir. This scan is far more accurate than what you would be able to tell us, due to your dominant eye condition."

How soon can I expect this at the local mall? Next year? :)

-Javik