How do optometrist sterilize eye exam equipment?

Most equipment is wiped down with alcohol. Like many have mentioned, most equipment at the eye doctor does not come into direct contact with your eyes, or even most of your skin. The chin pads have tissues that are thrown away, and for the objects that do touch your eye, such as a tonometer, those have disposable covers that are only used once and then discarded.

Optometrist Equipment

Eye Exam Equipment

If an optometrist or ophthalmologist is using instruments or equipment on multiple patients you can be sure that they do have an autoclave or other type of sterilizer. Certain instruments cannot be subjected to the heat or pressure of an autoclave and there are other types of sterilizers that are available that work just as well if not better. If your referring to chin rests attached to certain equipment, it is cleaned with alcohol or the paper is changed in between patients, just like your medical doctor changes the paper on his exam table/bed. Sorry I'm not an optometrist or ophthalmologist but I worked with ophthalmologists for almost 20 years. Where did you get this screwy idea that eye specialists don't sterilize their reusable instruments and equipment?

Edit: Sorry, did not mean to insult you.

Ok i am going to tell the truth, i am neither an ophthalmologist or an optometrist but i have a good understanding of how all this works.

They use antiseptic to clean all the machinery with antiseptic wipes to finish it off, they do not need to be that strong because they do not touch your eyes while examining them, the only risky part is when they dilate your pupils, but the eye drops will be clean anyway.

This is not as bad as the dentist who actually touches your teeth and your mouth.

Good luck

yeah alcohol pads. we know its not "sterile" but it doesn't need to be for most applications, and optics are very heat/humidity sensitive. we're not dealing with too many body fluids only a few instruments actually touch the eye. the things that are the most "touched" by the instruments are chins & foreheads.

if you're talking about surgical instruments, of course those are autoclaved

The surface that comes in contact with your face is cleaned with alcohol. Often, those surfaces are also covered with a piece of paper that is replaced for each patient.

The equipment however does not get in direct contact with your eye.

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