Ergonomic refraction station and method for using same

Abstract

The ergonomic refraction station and procedure of use consists of a phoropter helmet, chair, work table, monitor and electronic circuit, which seeks to perform a refraction test in the conditions most similar to the usual work environment of the examinee, for this it consists of a lightweight phoropter helmet, which adjusts to the size of the user, made of transparent material to allow contact with its surroundings and execute the usual movements of head, neck, eyes and working distance, parameters that are captured by optical, distance and inclination sensors, located on the phoropter helmet or on the flexible and adjustable table with “swan neck” arms, so that once the patient places the phoropter helmet and sits on the chair and table, the sensors send information to a microprocessor that shall recognize the real working conditions of the patient and adapt them to the conditions of the ergonomic refraction station, such as: size of letters, aligned inclinations of head-eye-hand coordination with the vision charts, lighting and thus adequately projecting the reading chart on the table and the characters and graphics that the examinee shall read; It also includes removable multifocal lenses or in a test case with the appropriate coupling, noncircular eyepieces with a greater visual field than the traditional ones for the far, middle and near vision test and ocular covers.

1 . Ergonomic refraction station consisting of chair with arms to hold the table, tree, arm to hold the phoropter, monitor, lighting, arms, phoropter with system of positive and negative monofocal spherical lenses, cylindrical, prisms, monitor, step button of cylinder lenses, Jackson Cross-cylinder, step button for “R”, “PH”, Rihsley prisms, characterized by a helmet-phoropter consisting of helmet ( 3 ) with lightweight headband adjustable to the size of the patient's head, held by the “swan neck” support ( 6 ) and by an upper ball joint ( 40 ), rotating stub, said helmet joined to the phoropter by the upper part by the ball joint ( 4 ) that is screwed to the base ( 41 ) and to the upper front part by hinge ( 5 ), in addition, the front middle part supported by two side flexible arms ( 7 ) which are assembled to the phoropter to each articulated joint or hinges ( 8 ) with screw ( 9 ) that can be adjusted and on the back of the arm, the terminal ( 11 ) is curved, the side arms leave the lower support ( 50 ) which in turn assembles on the central axis of the support ( 46 ) at the bottom, the phoropter has its two front and back covers ( 1 ) made of non-metallic transparent and resistant material such as polycarbonate, and lens crown made of transparent material ( 2 ) with removable multifocal lenses ( 27 ) of a diameter greater than the spherical and cylindrical lenses, concentric with them, coupling system ( 26 ) for lenses crown, eyepieces ( 29 ) arranged in V-shape, eye covers ( 28 ), electronic pantoscopic angle sensor ( 10 ), loudspeaker ( 16 ), rotor ( 17 ), lenses holder ( 44 ) removable from test cases and lever for positive and negative panoramic angle adjustment ( 25 ), the crown coupling ( 43 ) and lenses holder ( 44 ) on its external part, step button ( 36 ) of multifocal lenses, multifocal lenses ( 53 ) of the test case; from the station chair come two side swan neck arms ( 12 ) attached to a work table ( 13 ) that can be adjusted, on the table there are LED bulbs ( 14 ) indicating with a hand  FIG. 15 ) the position where the examinee places his, optical sensors ( 22 ) indicate to the micro processor the position and size of the examinee's hands, this regulates the size of the figure of the hands ( 15 ) projected onto the table tray ( 19 ) and aligns with the  FIG. 31 ) of these in the occupational chart ( 32 ) and the  FIG. 33 ) in the table, electronic inclination sensor ( 18 ) of table connected to electronic circuit projector ( 30 ) that can be adjusted located in the front of the phoropter helmet and whit microprocessor ( 23 ) that receives the sensor information of the phoropter helmet such as: distance sensor ( 20 ) assembled on the ball joint ( 4 ) and the inclination sensors ( 10 ), ( 49 ), ( 45 ) and the display circuit ( 51 ) and visualizes on the inclination viewer or display ( 21 ), selects the vision chart according to the profession and sends signal to the projector, besides, it emits sounds typical of the working environment; said microprocessor assembled to the arduino powered by 12 Volts selects the font size for the 20/20, the size of the chart, the optotype, the amount of illumination, direction thereof, the line of visual acuity on the chart and the inclination of characters of the chart according to the position of hands, head, eyes and the working distance. 
     
     
         2 . Procedure for projecting a selected size chart on the table of the ergonomic refraction station, characterized in that it comprises the steps of:
 Fitting the phoropter helmet to the size of the head. Measuring the inclination of the phoropter helmet and the reading table. Recording the pantoscopic angle. Observing through lenses ( 27 ) and through the eyepieces ( 29 ). Measuring eye-hand distance. Placing hands on the table and activating optical sensors ( 22 ) and distance sensors ( 20 ). Sending information to the microprocessor ( 23 ) which shall:
 Select the distance compensating lens and display on the monitor ( 24 ). 
 Select the size of the chart and the characters therein. 
 Select the inclination of characters. 
 Adjust the pantoscopic angle. 
 Send signal to the projector ( 30 ). 
 Send signal to loudspeakers ( 16 ). 
 Project the chart on the ergonomic refraction station table. 
 Pass multifocal lenses with the button ( 36 ) or place one ( 53 ). 
   Table of figures:  FIG. 1 . Side view of flexible arm,  FIG. 2 . Side view of phoropter helmet and support,  FIG. 3 . The table,  FIG. 4 . Side arm,  FIG. 5 . Eyepieces,  FIG. 6 . Eye cover,  FIG. 7 . Front view of the phoropter with transparent casing,  FIG. 8 . Phoropter,  FIG. 9 . Arm,  FIG. 10 . Structural axis of the helmet and ball joint,  FIG. 11 . Transparent crown for lenses,  FIG. 12 . Coupling, crown and lenses holder,  FIG. 13 . Hands with optical sensors and LED lights,  FIG. 14 . Monofocal, multifocal and Ocular lens,  FIG. 15 . Station,  FIG. 16 . Electronic circuit.