Illuminated Melbourne Edge Test
 Catalogue Number: 2509 Illuminated Melbourne Edge Test Category: Equipment Sub-Category: Visual Acuity, Contrast sensitivity tests Designer/inventor: VERBAKEN Jos H Year Of Publication/Manufacture: 1999 Time Period: 1940 to 1999 Place Of Publication/Manufacture: Melbourne Publisher/Manufacturer: Philtech Description Of Item: Internally illuminated light box,labelled NVRI, showing gray scale image of 24 numbered circles each divided in half by a difference in contrast that decreases progressively from circle No 1 to circle No 24. The image is identified by the words MELBOURNE EDGE TEST Chart 1 version 2.4.1 Copyright 1986 1999 J Verbaken. The plastic and metal box can use 8 C-cell batteries or a 12V DC 400 mA power pack. The box is labelled on base:' Manufactured by Philtech' and measures 395mm W x 197mm D x 60mm H. Also 3 pages of instructions from NVRI and MET Response Key Card. Historical Significance: The clinical measurement of contrast sensitivity as a function of spatial frequency was of interest in the 1980s and various groups devised tests that were practical to use in the consulting room. Jos Verbaken, a staff optometrist in the clinic of the Victorian College of Optometry, was one of them. He devised this test to sample very low spatial frequency contrast sensitivity (an edge being of low spatial frequency). He also devised several LogMAR letter charts to measure both high contrast letter acuity and low contast letter acuity (See Cat No 1408). See: Verbaken J Role of the contrast sensitivity function in clinical practice. Am J Optom Physiol Opt. 1987 Apr;64(4):290-5. Verbaken JH, Johnston AW Population norms for edge contrast sensitivity.Am J Optom Physiol Opt. 1986 Sep;63(9):724-32. Verbaken JH, Jacobs RJ. The technical problems of producing photographic prints for the measurement of human contrast thresholds. Ophthalmic Physiol Opt. 1985;5(4):459-65. Greeves AL, Cole BL, Jacobs RJ. Assessment of contrast sensitivity of patients with macular disease using reduced contrast near visual acuity charts. Ophthalmic Physiol Opt. 1988;8(4):371-7. 3. Greeves AL, Cole BL, Jacobs RJ Reliability and validity of simple photographic plate tests of contrast sensitivity. Am J Optom Physiol Opt. 1987 Nov;64(11):832-41. How Acquired: Donated by Yishen Yang, optometrist Date Acquired: October 2014 Condition: Very good Location: Archive room. West wall. Unit 3 Drawer 2 |