Radiuscope
 Catalogue Number: 1794 Radiuscope Category: Equipment Sub-Category: Contact lens equipment Corporation: American Optical Company Year Of Publication/Manufacture: c 1960 Time Period: 1940 to 1999 Place Of Publication/Manufacture: Buffalo, New York Publisher/Manufacturer: American Optical Company Description Of Item: Black enamel metal frame holding a vertically travelling microscope with a light source and target slide assembly to the back and a side mounted micrometer for measuring travel distance. Adjustable circular plate with holders for contact lenses on the base of the frame. Unit is 210 x 150 x 285(H) mm. Marked AO on both sides of the microscope and a plate on the micrometer mount reads 'RADIUSCOPE Made by American Optical Company Buffalo NY Serial AC 1984 Model A'. Also 'Jefferson Transformer Cat No 969-001-624. CAP. 30VA. PRI VOLTS 230. CYCLES 60. SEC. VOLTS 1-9. JEFFERSON ELECTRIC COMPANY/ BELLWOOD, ILLINOIS MADE IN USA/21860-3'. Historical Significance: The radiuscope is an instrument used to measure the radius of curvature of the surfaces of a contact lens. It is based on the Drysdale method. Syn. optical microspherometer. It is essentially a microscope with a vertical illuminator. Light from a target is reflected down the microscope by a half silvered mirror and the microscope is focussed to form an image known as the surface image. The microscope distance is changed to focus on the aerial image. The radius of curvature of the contact lens is derived from the change of distance to focus on the two images. The American Optical Company first produced the radiuscope in 1958. How Acquired: Donated by Vic Lowe Condition: Good Location: Archive room. West wall. Unit 6 Overhead display |