Refraction Room Equipment: The Checklist
Equipping a refraction room means two separate lists: the furniture that positions the patient and carries the instruments, and the instruments themselves. They are usually bought from different suppliers, and the second list decides what the first has to carry.
This checklist goes through both, in the order we suggest you settle them, with the questions to answer before asking for a quotation.
Which instruments a room needs depends on the examinations the practice performs; this list covers a typical refraction room and is not clinical advice.
Start with the instruments, not the furniture.
Write down every instrument that will live in the room and where it will stand. The furniture is then chosen to carry that list.
| Instrument | Where it usually sits | What it asks of the furniture |
|---|---|---|
| Phoropter (manual or automated) | On an arm in front of the patient | An arm with enough vertical travel; a cable route for an automated head |
| Autorefractor / keratometer | On the tabletop | Tabletop depth, and height travel so the patient can reach the chin rest |
| Slit lamp | On the tabletop, often on a second position | A tabletop that slides or rotates between instruments |
| Chart, projector or screen | On the wall opposite the patient, or projected | Nothing from the furniture; it sets the room length |
| Trial lens set and trial frame | In a drawer or on a side surface | A drawer deep and wide enough for the case |
| Lensmeter and PD meter | Side surface, or a separate table | A secondary tabletop or a small table |
The instrument links go to our sister site, ENOCHTEC, which supplies ophthalmic instruments.
Then the furniture that carries them.
A combined refraction unit — or a chair and a table
A refraction unit puts the patient chair, a motorized tabletop and the phoropter arm on one frame. The alternative is an electric patient chair with a separate instrument table. Our selection guide sets out when each makes sense.
Tabletop size and positions
Count the instruments that must sit on the tabletop at the same time. Separate instrument tables in our range run from 400 × 480 mm to 600 × 1080 mm; combined units carry main tabletops up to 1100 × 500 mm, several with a second tabletop.
Patient chair
Electric lift so the patient’s eyes meet the instruments. Seat heights across our patient chairs run from 500 to 710 mm as specified; two models recline.
Practitioner stool
Our optometrist stool adjusts from 450 to 550 mm.
Storage
Drawers for the trial lens case and small tools. Drawer sizes are listed on each product page.
Power, lighting and the room itself.
- Supply voltage — our furniture is built for AC 220 V / 50 Hz or 110 V / 60 Hz; the version is specified on the quotation. Check the plug type for your country too.
- Sockets — count the instruments that need mains power; some instrument tables have built-in outlets (LY-3BD has three).
- Lighting — room light that can be dimmed, and a chart lit to its standard. See chart and lighting.
- Room — floor area, clear ceiling height and the door opening. The room layout guide covers all three.
Questions about equipping the room.
What equipment is needed for a refraction room?
Furniture: a patient chair, a support for the instruments (a combined refraction unit or a separate instrument table), an arm for the phoropter and a practitioner stool. Instruments: typically a phoropter or trial frame with a trial lens set, a test chart or projector, and often an autorefractor; many rooms also hold a slit lamp, a lensmeter and a PD meter.
Are the instruments included with a refraction unit?
No. Our refraction units, chairs and instrument tables are furniture; instruments shown in product photographs are not part of the supply unless a quotation states otherwise.
How many instruments can one refraction unit carry?
It depends on the model: some have one main tabletop, others a second tabletop or a tabletop that slides or rotates between two positions. LY-500, for example, has two instrument positions. Send us your instrument list and we will match it to a model.
What power supply does refraction-room furniture need?
Our furniture runs on AC 220 V / 50 Hz or 110 V / 60 Hz, specified on the quotation. Plan sockets for the instruments as well as the furniture.
Send us your instrument list.
Tell us which instruments the room will hold and the room dimensions. We reply with the furniture that carries them, a lead time and a quotation.