From a very young age, I have lacked the ability to see properly. The VCR’s clock (yes, that long ago) was nothing more than a blurry light, tree tops were just a conglomeration of green, and books were mere inches from my nose.

Luckily, I had access to an optometrist, and it was determined that I should always wear glasses and would have to come back year after year, due to the ever changing nature of my eyes. With each pregnancy, they changed. The older I got, they changed, 90 % of the time, for the worse.

It was a constant battle of never knowing if it was actually changing, or if maybe, there was just something in my eye. Since insurance companies only allow a yearly exam, I would have to wait until I could go back, complaining of headaches or double vision. Even recently, I have felt my contact lenses were not quite as sharp as they were last year.

By pure happenstance, an interesting little device was being shown at Las Vegas’ CES in 2018, the EyeQue.

The EyeQue is a personal miniscope that, when used with a smartphone, will provide a prescription based off a vision test. There is a lense on one end, that is covered to prevent dust and debris. The other end is the eyepiece, with a soft and flexible bit to make the test more comfortable. They eyepiece also turns, each click selecting a different number, 1 through 9.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I decided to try it and here is what I found:

  • It is small, compact enough to fit in my purse
  • It is easy to use
  • The app is very straightforward, pretty easy to understand what is happening

To avoid any mistakes that might skew the results, I watched the tutorial first. It was a short video that showed not only how to attach the device to my phone, but also what to do once I started the test. Then I even played a little bit in the Practice section. I was ready, I felt prepared to take this test and see where my vision was at.

Once you open the test, it displays an outline for where to place the scope, and then it will ask you two questions. The first is, have you removed your glasses and contacts. Yes, yes I have. The second, do you have a screen protector. Since I stupidly do not have a screen protector, I always check “No”, so I am not sure what it will do to the results, or if it adjusts the test accordingly.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now onto the test! Looking through the scope with my right eye, I kept my left eye open and looking at a distance object. Through the tiny slits in the scope, I can make out some fuzzy lines, one red and one green. Pictured below is without the scope, full phone screenshot.

The object of the test is to overlap the bars, so that no red or green can be seen, and instead there is a single yellow bar left in their place. Using the + and – buttons to move the two bars closer together, or farther apart, I attempted to make a yellow bar.

Once I was sure that I had a single yellow bar, I selected Next, and then turned the top piece so that the number 2 was selected at the dot.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Same idea, just slightly tilted lines this time. Going all the way to number 9, it was time to switch eyes. Identical test for the left eye, so it went pretty swiftly. After completing the test, it showed me a rough number for my prescription, however it would not give me an actual number until I had completed the test at least 3 times.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Each time I completed the test, I realized the repetition was to get a more accurate reading of my eyes. They would display a Confidence level, starting with Poor, and moving through Fair, Good and then High. I was determined to get a High Confidence, I wanted to make sure I had the the most accurate reading to compare with the doctor.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My last trip to the doctor was about 7-8 months ago and for my prescription, I was at -9.00 for my right eye, and -10.00 for my left. Let’s see how close that is with the EyeQue.

I tried, I tried so hard to get a High Confidence level, but to no avail. Maybe if I did the test 50 times, instead of 15. I still managed to get a Good Confidence, and after a around the 9th test, the numbers stopped changing.

Clocked in at -10.5 for both eyes! Now it is a little different from before, a bit worse in fact. But let’s not forget that my eyes change so much, that it is very possible these are my new numbers. Let’s go back to the Optometrist for an update!