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April 22, 1969
w. c. MOORE ET AL
3,439,978
sTaEAK RETINoscoPE
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Filed Aug. 27. 1965
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INVENToR.
WILLIAM C. MOORE
Y WILLIAM S. PILGRIM
United States Patent O
l
ÀCC
3,439,978
Patented Apr. 22, 1969
Z
Another important object of the invention is to pro
3,439,978
vide a streak retinoscope having a single control means
William C. Moore, Skaneateles, and William S. Pilgrim,
for focusing the streak and providing 360° rotatability of
STREAK RETINOSCOPE
Port Byron, N.Y., assignors to Welch Allyn, Inc.,
Skaneateles Falls, N.Y., a corporation of New York
Filed Aug. 27, 1965, Ser. No. 483,230
firmly held in place, once adjusted.
A further object is to provide such control means in
a retinoscope which has a head easily adjusted angularly
Int. Cl. A61b 3/10
U.S. Cl. 351-6
the streak which control means is easy to manipulate and
6 Claims
with respect to the control means.
A still further object is to provide a retinoscope having
10 easily identified target spots on the distal side thereof for
ABSTRACT 0F THE DISCLOSURE
catching and securing the patient’s attention.
Still another object is to provide a retinoscope having
A streak retinoscope handle is secured to the reduced
a viewing lens that is easily replaceable according to the
neck of a hea-d by a nut bearing against a split ring in a
physician’s requirements.
groove around the neck. A sleeve manipulatable axially
Other objects and advantages will become -apparent
and rotatably through handle slots carries a lamp for il 15
from the following description in conjunction with the
luminating a lens and mirror in the head. Spring contacts
connect one lamp terminal to one side of -a handle elec
appended drawing, in which:
FIGURE l is a side elevational view of -a retinoscope
tric source, the other terminal being connected to the
according to the invention;
other side by insulated means includingr a coil spring
FIGURE ,2 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view
axially of the freely rotatable sleeve. Fiber bundles carry 20
of the lamp control portion of the handle thereof;
light to distal fixation targets and the viewing lens holder
FIGURE 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the head
is removable for corrective lens replacement.
____
This invention relates to a retinoscope and more par
ticularly to a streak retinoscope in which a streak or bar
portion thereof on a smaller scale;
FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary side elevational View, on
25 the same scale as FIGURE 3, partly in section, of the por
tion shown in FIGURE 2 rotated 90°; and
FIGURE 5 is a proximal side elevational view of the
of light can be focused and continuously adjusted at any
4head portion, partly broken away for clarity.
angle a full 360° about the horizontal or vertical by a
In the drawings, the retinoscope 10 comprises a conven
single control member in the handle of the instrument.
30 tional power handle 11, a control portion handle-extension
Streak retinoscopy, as distinguished from spot retinos
12, and a head 13.
copy, has certain advantages in measuring the refractive
Handle 11 is shown as -a cord handle, the cord 14 be
state of the eye, not only in determining the axis of
ing adapted to carry low voltage current to conventional
astigmatism, but also in detecting and measuring hyperopia
terminals in the handle. Alternatively, a battery handle
and myopia. In streak retinoscopy a streak or bar of 35 having its own batteries for supplying current for the
light, as distinguished from a spot of light, is focused at
lamp may be used.
the eye. For efficient examination, the streak should be
The control portion handle extension 12 has Áa metal
easily controllable by the physician for focusing the
outer sleeve member 15 provided at its lower end with a
streak at the ldesired distance and the size and angular dis
threaded boss 16 adapted to be screwed into the internal
position of the streak must also be readily controllable. 40 threads of one terminal of the socket-type end of power
Retinoscopy requires that the streak be rotatable from a
handle 11. Boss 16 has a threaded >axially-extending bore
90° disposition to a 180° disposition and it is frequently
17 therethrough and into this bore is screwed a tubular
necessary to rotate the stre-ak 180° from either of the start
fixed contact sleeve 18 which projects from boss 16 at
ing dispositions. Full 360° rotatability is advantageous in
either end.
that time is saved when the streak can be rotated in any 45
The lower projecting end of sleeve 18 is provided with
direction to the desired starting point.
a contact element 19 adapted to contact the usual in
A single control for both focus and angular disposi
tion is advantageous and the control should be easy to
manipulate but firmly maintained in position once it is
adjusted.
Since the patient must look to one side or the other
of the physician’s line of sight it is also advantageous
to provide target spots on the retinoscope on which the
patient can focus so that the physician can examine the
sulated center terminal of the power handle 11. Element
19 comprises an outer ring member 19a of insulating ma
terial secured in the central bore of sleeve 118. \A metal
50 contact portion 19b is secured in the central passage of
ring 219a so as to project outwardly therefrom.
The upper end of sleeve ‘1.8i carries another insulating
ring 20 secured in the bore thereof. An insulated wire 21
has one end soldered or otherwise secured to the contact
pupil area of the eye without interruption. By providing 55 11‘9b
of element 1‘9 and extends up through sleeve 1‘8 and
such target spots on the retinoscope itself, they are al
has an exposed end extending through the ring 2.0 where
ways available without lights or other easily distinguish
it is secured to another metal contact as 'will hereinafter
able objects being secured at chosen points around the
appear.
physician’s office in relation to the examining chair, an
The upper end of boss 16 terminates in a tubular guide
arrangement which confines the physician to one particu 60 portion
22 of member 1‘5. -At the other end of the outer
lar position for examination.
sleeve
member
15, a similar tubular guide portion 23 is
Freedom in his choice of position and freedom in the
provided and guide portions 22 and 23 are connected on
use of his hands for the physician is also increased when
opposite sides of the sleeve by narrow strip portions 24.
the angular disposition of the light emitting head of the
retinoscope is angularly adjustable with respect to the 65 Between the strips 24 are slots or access windows 25, best
seen in FIGURE 4, through which the physician can
position of the light controlling means of the instrument.
manipulate a control sleeve 216.
Individual physicians may 4desire a corrective lens
The control sleeve 26 fits loosely inside the slotted
adapted for his use. The viewing lens therefore should
be easily replaceable but precisely located.
The principal object of the present invention is to pro
vide a streak retinoscope with the above noted advan
tages.
outer sleeve 15 and is shorter than the outer sleeve but
extends from the interior of the tubular portion 22 to the
interior of tubular portion 213. Sleeve `26 is of metal and
has a knurled outer surface intermediate its ends. The
3,439,978
ȣ3
control sleeve is provided at either end with annular
bearing washers 27 of plastic material which snap over
the ends of the sleeve 26, as shown, and which center the
control sleeve inside the outer sleeve 15.
4
52 for providing a firm shoulder for the nut. Should the
angular position of the head I13 require adjustment with
respect to the location of windows 25 on the handle ex
tension y12, the nut `50 can be manually loosened so that
Adjacent the bearing Washers 27, each end of the con
the head may be turned and then the nut tightened again.
trol sleeve is provided with an annular slot in which are
The head 13 has a transverse viewing passage 54 there
through and a condensing lens 55 is secured in the usual
engaged a split ring spring band 28 and a split ring con
tact band 29, the later band around the first, as shown.
The spring bands 28 extend only around approximately
4/5 of the circumference of the control sleeve 26 and are
biased strongly outward so that outward pressure is
exerted on the contact bands 2‘9 at at least three perimetri
. manner in a lens holder y56 secured by a screw 57 in the
end of passage 48 adjacent the passage 54. An annular
mirror holder '58 is secured against suitable shoulders in
the viewing passage 54 by a tab plate 59, as shown, the
tab plate also being held in place by the screw 57 (FIG.
cally spaced points therearound. Contact bands 29 extend
substantially completely around the control sleeve and
are biased outwardly by the spring bands to insure a good
frictional grip and electrical contact between sleeves 15
passing through the lens 55 from lamp 31 transversely
and 26 at all times.
Control sleeve 26 has an axially extending bore 30
out of the passage 54 onto the eye of the patient.
The front, or proximal side, of the head 13 is closed
4). A mirror 60 harving a. central viewing orifice therein
is secured by adhesive in the holder 58 at a substantially
45° angle in passage 54 so as to reflect and focus light
which, at its upper end, partially contains the lamp 31.
by a plate 61 held in place by a plurality of screws 57
The lamp is a conventional streak retinoscope lamp hav 20 (FIG. 5) and a viewing lens 62 secured in a lens holder
ing a lfilament 32 extending on three sides of a rectangle
63 is provided in back of the mirror 60 so that the
axially of bore 30 so as to provide a bar or streak of light
physician may look through the mirror into the patient’s
when viewed axially.
eye. As a novel feature, lens holder 63 is provided with
Bore 30 adjacent the upper end of sleeve 26 is con`
a threaded neck engaged in an appropriately threaded
stricted at 33 and threaded so as to receive the threaded 25 hole in plate 61 so that the physician may conveniently
end of lamp 3'1 and its axially projecting central terminal
remove the lens 62 and substitute another when desired.
34.
A corrective lens adapted to the individual physician’s
»Below the constricted portion 3'3, bore 30` extends the
eye may be used.
major portion of the length of sleeve 26 and has secured
A rubber spectacle or forehead rest 64 is provided at
therein, as by a slide fit, a substantially tubular control 30 the top of the instrument head along the back plate 61.
sleeve insulator 3‘5. Insulator 35 has an axially extending
Another novel feature is provided by a bundle 65 of
central passage 3‘6 into which the upper portion of the
coated light-transmitting glass fibers secured, as by ad
iixed Contact sleeve 18 extends.
hesive, in head 13 on either side of the head. Each bundle
Also carried in the passage 36 are a fixed contact 40
extends upward from a suitable hole in the head inter
and a lamp contacting element 41 connected by extension
secting passage 48, the lower end having a polished light
coil spring 42. Each of the contacts 40 and `41 have a seat
receiving surface 66 substantially flush With the wall of
in which one end of spring 42 is engaged and the con
passage 48. Adjacent the perimeter of the proximal side
tacts and spring are axially aligned by the passage 36.
of the head, as shown in FIGURE 5, the bundle emerges
Element 41 has a stem 43 slidably engaged in a con
in a passage 67, FIGURE 5, molded in the proximal side
stricted portion 44 of the passage 36 at the upper end of 40 of the head and adapted to be covered by the plate 61.
insulator 35. The stem 43 is held constantly in electrical
From its passage 67 each bundle 65 extends to a shoul
contact with the central terminal 34 of lamp 31 by the
dered hole 68 having a constricted orilice 70 (FIG. 1)
pressure of spring 42 and contacts 40 and 41 are con
in the side of the head facing distally. The upper end of
stantly electrically connected by the spring.
bundle 65 is angled sharply as indicated and has a
Contact 40 is of metal and has a pendant pin portion
polished light emitting surface facing distally.
40a which is forced down into the ring 20 in electrical
In the shouldered holes 68, located substantially at
contact with the exposed end of wire 21 so that contact
the level of viewing lens 62 on either side of the head,
element 41 is constantly in electrical contact with the con
green and red filters 71 and 72, respectively, are secured
tact -19b when control sleeve 26 is moved axially within
adjacent the orifice 70. A split ring retainer in each hole
68 secures each filter in place against the shoulder of its
the outer sleeve 415. In addition, the bias of spring 42 is in
oppoistion to the weight of control sleeve 26 and assists
hole 68 and the polished light emitting end of bundle 65
in maintaining the moving parts in adjusted position when
is secured against the surface of the filter within the re
the retinoscope is in use.
tainer by adhesive means or otherwise.
In operation, the retinoscope is grasped in one hand
The upper guide portion 23 of the outer sleeve is ex
and held at the desired distance from the patient’s eye.
teriorly threaded, as shown, and stop ring 45 is secured
interiorly of the guide portion by the set screw 46. Stop
The head may be loosened by backing off the nut 50
and turning head in respect to the handle so that the
ring 45 prevents the control sleeve 26 from being moved
physician’s thumb and forefinger may more conveniently
out of the outer sleeve `15 but allows axial movement of
grasp the control sleeve 26 through the windows 25. The
the control sleeve in the outer sleeve and therefore, move
head is then tightened in its preferred orientation. Lamp
ment of the lamp 31 in the head 13.
Lamp 31 projects befond the end of the outer sleeve 15
31 is turned on by a switch (not shown) in the power
handle 11.
and axial movement of the control sleeve upward in FIG
URE 2 moves the lamp farther out of the outer sleeve into
a central axial passage 48 in the neck portion 49 of the
head 13. As best seen in FIGURE 3, the neck 49 is pro
vided with a nut or threaded sleeve 50` for securing the
head to the threaded end of the outer sleeve I15.
Nut 50 may be slid over the end of neck 49 and then a
split ring shoulder member ‘51 is snapped into an annular
groove 52 provided adjacent the end of the neck. The top
surface of shoulder member 51 is tapered outwardly and
downwardly, as in the top of the nut `50 which engages it.
As the nut 50 draws the end of neck 49 into engagement
with the end of outer sleeve 15, the split ring shoulder
member 51 is thereby cammed more firmly into its groove
By moving the control sleeve 26 axially of the handle,
the lamp 31 is advanced toward or moved away from
lens 55 and mirror 60 for focusing the streak of light
at the patient’s eye to the desired width or thickness.
Contact bands 29 are pressed firmly against the tubular
guide portions of the outer sleeve 15 by the spring bands
28 to maintain at all times the desired axial adjustment
of the control sleeve. At the same time the lamp 31 re
mains lit since the circuit is maintained from the power
handle 11 central terminal, contact 19b, wire 21, Contact
40, spring 42, contact 41, lamp terminals, control sleeve
26, bands 28 and 29, outer sleeve 15 and the threaded
terminal of handle 11.
5
8,439,97 8
As the control sleeve and lamp are advanced and turned
from the position shown in FIGURE 2 to the position
shown in FIGURE 4, the stern 43 of contact 41 remains
in contact with the central terminal 34 of the lamp. Con
tacts 19h and 41 remain electrically connected through
the spring 42 which lengthens.
The bar filament 32 of lamp 31 lies in a single plane
containing the -axis of the handle extension 12 so that, as
the control sleeve 26 is rotated, the streak of light pass
ing through lens 55 and reflected and focused by the
mirror 60 is caused to rotate. Since there is no obstruc
tion to the rotation of the control sleeve for a full 360°
the streak may be rotated through any angle desired.
While the lamp 31 is lit, casual light is conveyed by
the bundles 65 to the filters 71 and 72 in the orifices 70
so that the patient has a concentration or focusing point
conveniently located on the instrument to the right or left
of the physician’s line of sight.
6
conta-ct and biasing the insulated terminal against the lamp
terminal, the handle slots being of such size as to adapt
the sleeve for digital manipulation therethrough, whereby
the sleeve is axially movable to carry the lamp toward and
away from the lens for focusing light from the lamp and
the sleeve is completely rotatable for rotating streak light
in either direction to any desired angle by manipulation
of the sleeve through the handle slots.
3. A retinoscope as defined in claim 2 having means
for securing the handle to the head comprising: an an
nular slot around the neck, a split ring in the slot having
an annular portion projecting radially of the slot, and a
nut having an inwardly projecting flange at one end around
the neck adapted to engage the projecting portion of the
split ring, the nut being adapted at its other end for
threaded engagement with the handle, the ring projecting
portion and the nut flange having engaging surfaces tapered
outwardly toward the handle for locking the split ring in
the groove.
As will be apparent to those familiar with the art, the
4. The retinoscope as defined in claim 2 having a view
invention can be embodied in other specific forms with 20
ing lens in the proximal end of the viewing passage, the
out departing from the spirit or essential characteristics
lens being carried in an annular lens holder, the lens holder
thereof. The embodiment disclosed is therefore to be con
having a restricted threaded neck portion engaged in a
sidered in all respects as illustrative rather than restrictive,
the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended
threaded hole inthe head so as to be easily removable from
2. A streak retinoscope having a comparatively large
the neck adapted to engage the projecting portion of the
split ring, the nut being adapted at its other end for
threaded engagement with the handle, the ring projecting
claims.
25 the head and replaceable .by another holder having a cor
rective lens therein.
What is claimed is:
5. The retinoscope as defined in claim 3 and having
1. In a retinoscope having a bar filament lamp, a mir
target orifices in the distal side of the head thereof on either
ror for reflecting light from the lamp, and a condensing
side of the viewing passage, a colored filter secured at each
lens between lamp and mirror, the combination of a
slotted tubular handle, a control sleeve axially slidable 30 orifice, and a bundle of coated light-transmitting glass
fibers in either side of the head, each bundle having a light
and freely rotatable within the handle, an insulated axial
emissive surfa-ce facing the filter and a light receptive sur
passage in the sleeve, terminals on the handle electrically
face at the axial passage for receiving light from the lamp
connected to a source of electricity, one terminal being
and lighting up the filters.
electrically connected to an electrically conductive portion
6. In a diagnostic instrument having a separable head
of the handle and the other terminal being electrically 35
and handle, the head having a reduced neck adapted to be
connected to a fixed contact in the sleeve passage, the lamp
secured to the handle, the head having light-transmitting
being carried on the sleeve, means for electrically con
means for directing light in a transverse direction radial
necting one lamp terminal to the conductive portion of the
of the handle and the handle having digitally operated
sleeve, and insulated electrical connecting means in con
tact with the other lamp terminal and carried in the pas 40 light control means located at limited portions of the
handle perimeter, means for releasably and adjustably se
sage, the insulated connecting means including a compres
curing head to handle, comprising: the neck having an an
sion coil spring in contact with the fixed contact in the
nular slot therearound, a split ring in the slot having an
passage, whereby the sleeve is digitally manipulatable
annular portion projecting radially of the slot, and a nut
through the handle slots for axial movement of the lighted
having an inwardly projecting flange at one end around
lamp and capable of unlimited rotation of the lamp.
head and a handle of smaller diameter, the head having
a transverse Viewing passage and an intersecting axial pas
sage, a condensing lens and a mirror for reflecting light
from the lens in the axial passage, a slotted tubular handle,
the head having a reduced neck secured to the handle, a
portion and the nut flange having engaging surfaces tapered
outwardly toward the handle for locking the split ring in
control sleeve axially and freely rotatably movable with
in the handle, an insulated axially extending passage in
References Cited
UNITED STATES PATENTS
the groove.
the sleeve, terminals on one end of the handle electrically
connected to a source of electricity, one terminal being
1,066,386
7/1913
DeZeng ____________ __ S51-6
electrically connected to the handle and the other terminal
being electrically connected to a fixed contact mounted
1,720,035
7/ 1927
DeZeng ____________ __. 351-6
1,804,151
5/1931
Copeland ____ __' ____ __ 351-14
1,889,456
1,981,214
2,586,973
l 1/1932
11/1934
2/ 1952
Tillyer _____________ _... 351-6
Allyn _____________ __ 351-11
McMillîn ___________ __ 351-7
on the handle within the sleeve passage, a bar filament
lamp being carried on the sleeve at the other end of the
handle, spring means associated with the sleeve for elec 60
trically connecting sleeve and handle and for frictionally
positioning the sleeve in the handle, one lamp terminal
being in electrical contact With the sleeve, an insulated
DAVID SCHONBERG, Primary Examiner.
P. A. SACHER, Assistant Examiner.
terminal in the sleeve passage in contact with the other
U.S. Cl. X.R.
lamp terminal, and spring means in the sleeve passage elec
trically connecting the insulated terminal and the fixed 65 S51-10, l2, 13, 16
U.S. DEPARTMENT 0F COMMERCE
PATENT OFFICE
washington, D_c. 20231
UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE
CERTIFICATE 0F CORRECTION
Patent NO .
3 ,439 ,978
April 22 , 1969
William C. Moore et al.
It is certified that error appears in the above identified
patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as
shown below:
Column 3, line 6l, "befond" should read -- beyond --.
Column 6, line 27, claim reference numeral "3" should read
-- 2 Signed and sealed this 14th day of April 1970.
(SEAL)
Attest:
Edward M. Fletcher, Jr,
Attesting Officer
WILLIAMP E. SCHUYLER, JR.
Commissioner of Patents