Visual screening with Videometer

Historical Significance: This instrument was devised to screen vision in schools and work places. It tests for distance visual acuity, latent hypermetropia, acuity at the near working distance, the near point of accommodation, near point of convergence, near muscle balance and stereopsis. The instrument is not enclosed in a case to avoid proximal accommodation when testing younger people. It has an attachment for bifocal users. It was designed and made by Laubman and Pank the once large and well known firm of optometrists in Adelaide. This firm was always innovative and was the founder of the highly successful multinational company SOLA that was among the first to make CR39 ophthalmic lenses on a large commercial scale. The commercial drive in Laubman and Pank was from David Pank AM and the technological brains behind its success was Donald Schulz. Both were descendants of the founders Laubman and Pank. See Cat No 1108 Men of Vision. A history of Laubman and Pank 1908 - 1988 by David Towler. The instrument has been cleverly designed, probably by Donald Schultz, who invented a diversity of ophthalmic instruments. See his profile on this website under the tab 'People who made history' This profile was written by Rodney D Watkins and published in Clin Exp Optom 2004; 87: 187-190. Although very cleverly designed this instrument is not well known even at the peak of interest in industrial and school vision screening in the 1950s to 1970s. However, its use is reported in several papers published in Aust J Optom, viz: Schultz D Observations on Visual Characteristics of Central Australian Aborigines Aust J Optom, 1959; 42: 65-89; Zigler BC, The pre-school child sight screening. Aust J Optom 1958; 41: 422-424; Lederer J. Summaries of papers read at the convention: visual screening of school children Aust J Optom 1958; 41: 374-374. The dates of these papers (1958, 1959) suggest the instrument was devised about 1955.