Slit Lamp Exam

A slit lamp is a binocular microscope (or "biomicroscope") that your eye doctor uses to examine the structures of your eye under high magnification. It looks somewhat like a large, upright version of a microscope used in a science lab.

During the slit lamp exam, you will be asked to place your forehead and chin securely against the rests on the front of the instrument and your doctor will begin by examining the structures of the front of your eyes — including your eyelids, cornea, conjunctiva, iris, and lens.

With the help of a hand-held lens, your doctor may also use the slit lamp to examine structures located farther back in the eye, such as the retina and optic nerve.

A wide range of eye conditions and diseases can be detected with the slit lamp exam, including cataracts, macular degeneration, corneal ulcers and diabetic retinopathy, etc.

Optometrists and ophthalmologists use a wide variety of tests and procedures to examine your eyes. These tests range from simple ones, like having you read an eye chart, to complex tests, such as using a high-powered lens to visualize the tiny structures inside of your eyes.

A comprehensive eye exam can take an hour or more, depending on the doctor and the number and complexity of tests required to fully evaluate your vision and the health of your eyes.

Here are eye and vision tests that you are likely to encounter during a comprehensive eye exam:

Visual Acuity Tests

Among the first tests performed in a comprehensive eye exam are visual acuity tests that measure the sharpness of your vision. 

At Sight N' Steps Optometrists Pickering Town Centre, we pride ourselves in ensuring our patients quality care using some of the best diagnostic technology in the industry. Most of our diagnostic equipment is manufactured in Germany by Carl Ziess or TopCon Technoligies. Our pre and post testing includes:

• Auto Refraction Tests
• Auto Lensometry
• Color Vision Tests
• Air Puff Tonometry
• Glaucoma Testing
• Fundus Photography
• Visual Field Screening

Once your pretesting is completed, you will then proceed to the Doctor's office that includes a number of additional tests to ensure your eyes are and remain healthy.