What is the purpose of an auto refractor?

The purpose of an auto refractor is primarily to determine the eyeglasses prescription. This device utilizes infrared light to measure how light is being focused in the eye, which helps in identifying refractive errors such as nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism. By capturing how light refracts through the eye, it provides a quantitative assessment of the correct lens power needed to achieve optimal vision. This technology streamlines the prescription process and allows for quick assessments, making it invaluable in an ophthalmology practice.

Other options, while important in the field of ophthalmology, relate to different aspects of eye health examination. Testing for glaucoma involves different diagnostic tools, such as tonometry or visual field tests, which assess the optic nerve and the eye's internal pressure. Measuring intraocular pressure is critical for glaucoma diagnosis, but it does not provide prescription information. Evaluating the macula typically involves methods like optical coherence tomography or fundus photography, which focus on the structural health of the retina and its center, rather than determining a corrective lens prescription. Each of these functions plays a vital role in comprehensive eye care, but only the auto refractor is dedicated to creating the eyeglasses prescription.