An old engraving of a Ruete’s ophthalmoscope It is from a book of the 1890s on Victorian discoveries and inventions during the 1800s. Ophthalmoscopy allows a view inside the fundus of the eye using an ophthalmoscope (funduscope). German Christian Ruete modified existing devices. Using a concave focusing mirror, his ‘indirect ophthalmoscopy’ gave a better view of the fundus. A stand holds the mirror (A). It has a small aperture to see into an eye using two focusing lenses (B). Lamp (D) is the only light source in a dark room. Screen (C) shields the viewer from unwanted rays.
An old engraving of a Ruete’s ophthalmoscope It is from a book of the 1890s on Victorian discoveries and inventions during the 1800s. Ophthalmoscopy (or funduscopy) allows a doctor to see inside the fundus of the eye and other structures using an ophthalmoscope (or funduscope). It is used to determine the health of the retina and the optic disc. Christian Georg Theodor Ruete (1810–1867) was a German ophthalmologist born in Scharmbeck, Lower Saxony. Ruete made several significant contributions in the field. In 1845 he designed the first ophthalmotrope, a mechanical model of the eye and its muscles, used to show movements of the eye. He made modifications to existing ophthalmoscopes by use of a concave focusing mirror, enabling ‘indirect ophthalmoscopy’ to allow for a stereoscopic and wider view of the fundus of the eye. Here the stand holds a concave focusing mirror (A), which has a small central aperture through which the observer looks into the patient’s eye using two focusing lenses (B). The room environment needs to be dark with the lamp (D) the only source of light for viewing – a black screen (C) shields the viewer from unwanted rays.
Size: 3543px × 2870px
Location: Germany
Photo credit: © M&N / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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