Slit Lamp Examination
Magnified examination of the eye with a beam of light
Overview
The slit lamp, or biomicroscope, combines a binocular microscope with a bright, adjustable light source that can be narrowed to a thin slit. With the patient resting their chin and forehead on a frame, the examiner views the eyelids, conjunctiva, cornea, anterior chamber, iris, and lens in fine detail, and an optical cross section of transparent structures. With additional handheld lenses the retina and optic nerve can also be viewed, and dyes such as fluorescein reveal surface defects. The instrument was developed in the early twentieth century, with Allvar Gullstrand credited with its invention, and it is central to modern eye examinations.
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