New Autorefractor Designed for Infants and Toddlers

While a parent or guardian holds their fidgeting toddler, the Huvitz HVS-1 Vision Screener can assess for risks of amblyopia, such as myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism and strabismus. Photo: Coburn Technologies. Click image to enlarge. Vision screening in young children is key, as moderate and high levels of refractive error are associated with amblyopia, strabismus, reduced visual function and reduced literacy. Early detection allows for ophthalmic or educational interventions that can make a difference down the line in a child’s life and well-being. However, infants and toddlers often struggle to stay seated during traditional screenings with a desktop autorefractor.As one potential solution, Coburn Technologies recently announced the addition of the Huvitz HVS-1 Vision Screener, a device that the company says can perform rapid vision screening for infants and toddlers in less than a second and from up to a meter away with high accuracy. While primarily intended for pediatric use, the screener is also considered suitable for elderly patients and patients with mobility issues.The company touts that the HVS-1 can be incorporated into practices to conduct fast, accurate measurements of refractive abnormalities like myopia, astigmatism, hyperopia and strabismus. Especially for infants and toddlers, the company-developed “Focus LED” technology has a higher light intensity, enabling more precise measurements. The Vision Screener also evaluates the reflection of light from the retina to identify refractive and ocular alignment abnormalities.Coburn states that the HVS-1 is easily compatible with the standard DICOM format but also allows checking measured data on a PC through the self-developed software, HIIS-1.For more information, go to huvitz.com/en/product/hvs-1/.