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Visionstar ML-500

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Visionstar ENT, Ophthalmic & Sensory

Visionstar ML-500

Every value on a scale you can read at a glance and set by feel.

Refraction without a power supply. The ML-500 turns through +16.75 to -19.00D sphere and cylinder to -8.00D at 0.25D, with a ±0.25D cross cylinder, rotary prisms to 20 and an auxiliary dial carrying retinoscopic, Maddox, polarising, pinhole and occluder positions.

Sections

Phoropters

Categories

ENT, Ophthalmic & Sensory

Condition

New

Origin

China

Seller Type

Certified Professional Seller

CE & ISO Certified

Global Shipping

Supplier: Medigear

The Visionstar ML-500 is a manual phoropter: a precision-machined mechanical refractor head carrying no electronics, no display and no power requirement. Sphere, cylinder and axis are set by hand and auxiliary lenses selected from a rotating dial, with every value read directly from a marked scale. For a second consulting room, a hospital clinic room or a teaching lane, this is often exactly the right specification — the instrument does the optical job completely and adds nothing that can fail, expire or need a network.

Spherical power covers +16.75D to -19.00D in 0.25D steps. Cylinder covers 0.00 to -6.00D as standard, extending to -8.00D with the supplied additional -2.00D lens, also in 0.25D increments. Cylinder axis reads 0–180° in 5° steps. The cross cylinder is ±0.25D, with the manufacturer specifying Manus cross cylinder lenses throughout. Rotary prisms cover 0 to 20 in single steps, and pupillary distance adjusts across 48–75 mm in 1 mm increments.

The auxiliary lens dial carries a full complement: open aperture in two positions, a +1.50D retinoscopic lens, polarising lens at 45° left and 135° right, Maddox rods vertical and horizontal in white left and red right, red lens, +0.12D sphere, pinhole, dissociating prisms of 10Δ base in left and 6Δ base up right, a ±0.50D fixed cross cylinder and an occluder. That covers routine subjective refraction, duochrome, binocular balance, phoria measurement by both von Graefe and Maddox methods, and near addition determination without a separate trial set.

Every lens carries anti-reflection coating. On a manual head this matters more than the specification implies, since stray internal reflection degrades contrast precisely at the low-contrast endpoint where the patient is choosing between two near-identical presentations. The instrument includes a levelling mechanism, fingertip sphere power control and a convergence mechanism for near testing, machined to fine tolerances. Dimensions are 400 × 350 × 160 mm at 4.38 kg net. Visionstar publishes this technical data across its manual phoropter series, so the exact finish and variant supplied should be confirmed in writing at order. Medigear.uk supplies the ML-500 with pre-despatch functional inspection and documentation review.

The second consulting room is the clearest commercial case. Many UK practices run a main lane equipped with an automated refractor head and a secondary room that still requires full refraction capability — for a second optometrist, a locum working a busy Saturday, an overflow list or a pre-registration trainee under supervision. Equipping that room with a manual head costs a fraction of automating it and produces the same optical result, which turns a capital constraint into a solved problem rather than a compromise.

Hospital ophthalmology departments use manual heads in clinic rooms shared between staff and purposes across a week. An instrument with no power requirement, no login and no software state is straightforward to site in a room that serves several functions, and it cannot be found unusable because a console was left uncharged or a network was down. Refraction clinics, orthoptic support and pre-operative assessment rooms all fit this pattern.

Binocular vision work is well supported by the auxiliary dial. Phoria can be measured by von Graefe using the 10Δ base in and 6Δ base up dissociating prisms, or by Maddox rod in either meridian and in white or red — having both methods available without leaving the instrument is genuinely useful when a result needs cross-checking. Duochrome and binocular balance run from the red and red-green lens positions, and the pinhole separates refractive from pathological causes of reduced acuity.

Spectacle shops and dispensing-led practices use manual heads as their primary refraction instrument where volumes do not justify automation. Practices should note two limitations honestly: the 5° cylinder axis step limits precision on high cylinders, where trial frame confirmation remains advisable, and any phoropter requires an upright seated patient who can reach the head, so young children and patients unable to hold position need trial frame refraction regardless.

Full refraction capability at a fraction of the capital cost

The optical result is equivalent to an automated head; the price is not. For a second room, an overflow lane or a practice where volumes do not justify automation, that difference is the whole argument and it is a straightforward one.

Nothing to power, charge, update or lose

No display, no firmware, no battery, no mains requirement and no software platform to be discontinued. The instrument cannot be found unusable at the start of a clinic, and its working life is set by its optics and mechanism alone.

Both phoria methods on one dial

Dissociating prisms for von Graefe and Maddox rods in both meridians and both colours sit on the same auxiliary dial, so a phoria result can be cross-checked by a second method without interrupting the examination or reaching for a trial set.

Every value readable at a glance

Sphere, cylinder, axis and prism all read from marked mechanical scales. There is no menu state to interpret and nothing hidden behind a screen page — what the instrument is presenting is visible directly, which is particularly useful when supervising a trainee.

Anti-reflection coating through the whole stack

Stray internal reflection is most damaging at the low-contrast endpoint, exactly where the patient is judging between near-identical presentations. Coated optics throughout make that judgement cleaner and the endpoint quicker to settle.

Fingertip sphere control

Sphere power responds to light fingertip pressure rather than a firm deliberate turn, which matters across a full list where the same movement repeats hundreds of times in a session.

Cylinder to -8.00D with the supplied lens

Standard cylinder range extends from -6.00D to -8.00D using the included -2.00D auxiliary lens, bringing higher astigmatic prescriptions within reach without specifying a second instrument.

Suits shared and intermittently used rooms

With no login, no charging and no software state, the instrument is equally usable by whoever walks into the room on any given day. Shared hospital clinic rooms and locum-covered practice rooms benefit directly.

A complete working set supplied

Near-point card with holder and reading rod, dust cover, face shield, accessory lens case and the auxiliary cylinder and plano lenses all ship with the head. Beyond a mounting arm, nothing further needs specifying.

Manual mechanical operation

Sphere, cylinder, axis, prism and auxiliary lens selection are controlled entirely by hand, with no electronic actuation, display or power supply.

Sphere power +16.75D to -19.00D

Spherical power spans 35.75 dioptres in 0.25D steps, covering the overwhelming majority of prescriptions met in general community optometry.

Cylinder power to -8.00D

Cylinder covers 0.00 to -6.00D as standard and extends to -8.00D with the supplied -2.00D lens, in 0.25D increments throughout.

Cylinder axis 0–180° in 5° steps

Axis adjusts across the full semicircle in five-degree increments, adequate for low and moderate cylinders with trial frame confirmation advisable at higher powers.

Cross cylinder ±0.25D

A ±0.25D cross cylinder handles power and axis refinement, with the manufacturer specifying Manus cross cylinder lenses throughout the instrument.

Rotary prisms 0–20

Rotary prisms cover 0 to 20 in single steps for phoria measurement, vergence assessment and prism prescribing.

Retinoscopic lens at +1.50D

A +1.50D retinoscopic lens is built into the auxiliary dial, corresponding to the 67 cm working distance used in routine retinoscopy.

Open aperture in two positions

The dial provides open aperture in two positions, giving unobstructed viewing for the eye not currently under test or for both eyes during binocular presentation.

Maddox rods in both meridians

Vertical and horizontal Maddox rods are provided in white left eye and red right eye, supporting phoria measurement in both meridians by the Maddox method.

Dissociating prisms

Prisms of 10Δ base in left eye and 6Δ base up right eye support von Graefe phoria measurement horizontally and vertically without a separate trial prism.

Polarising and red lenses

A polarising lens at 45° left and 135° right supports polarised binocular testing, while the red lens and +0.12D sphere positions support duochrome and fine binocular balance.

Pinhole and occluder

A pinhole aperture separates refractive from pathological causes of reduced acuity, and a dedicated occluder position isolates each eye cleanly during monocular refraction.

Fixed ±0.50D cross cylinder

A fixed ±0.50D cross cylinder supports near addition determination by the fused cross cylinder technique.

Anti-reflection coated optics

Every lens in the instrument carries anti-reflection coating to reduce stray internal reflection and preserve contrast at the refraction endpoint.

PD adjustment 48–75 mm

Pupillary distance adjusts across 48 mm to 75 mm in 1 mm increments, covering the range of adult and older paediatric interpupillary measurements.

Levelling and convergence mechanisms

A levelling mechanism sets the instrument square to the patient, and a convergence mechanism angles the apertures correctly for near-point testing.

400 × 350 × 160 mm at 4.38 kg

The head measures 400 × 350 × 160 mm and weighs 4.38 kg net, requiring no console, power box or cabling alongside it.

The Visionstar ML-500 is a precision manual phoropter for UK practices and hospital departments that need complete refraction capability without electronics. Sphere from +16.75D to -19.00D, cylinder to -8.00D with the supplied auxiliary lens, a ±0.25D cross cylinder, rotary prisms to 20, anti-reflection coated optics and an auxiliary dial carrying retinoscopic, Maddox, polarising, pinhole, occluder and dissociating prism positions cover routine subjective refraction, duochrome, binocular balance, phoria measurement by two independent methods and near addition determination. It suits second consulting rooms, shared and intermittently used hospital clinic rooms, spectacle shops and dispensing-led practices, and any setting where an instrument must simply work whenever someone walks in. The 5° cylinder axis step limits precision on high cylinders, and patients unable to sit upright at the head need trial frame refraction. Medigear.uk supplies the ML-500 into the UK with pre-despatch functional inspection, documentation review and ongoing support. Contact the Medigear.uk team for current pricing, quantity quotations, refraction arm compatibility, or bespoke configuration enquiries.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Everything buyers need to know about sourcing medical equipment through MediGear.

Most often in the second room. Practices frequently run a main lane with an automated head and a secondary consulting room that still needs full refraction capability — for a second clinician, a locum, an overflow list or a pre-registration trainee. Equipping that room manually costs a fraction of doing it automatically and delivers the same optical result, which is a straightforward capital decision rather than a compromise.

No. The optics are equivalent and the endpoint depends on patient response either way. Automation changes the speed and physical effort of lens changes and adds a printed record and instrument integration; it does not produce a better refraction. That distinction is worth being clear about when comparing capital costs.

Sphere runs +16.75D to -19.00D in 0.25D steps, and cylinder covers 0.00 to -6.00D, extending to -8.00D using the supplied -2.00D auxiliary lens. That covers the overwhelming majority of prescriptions in general community optometry. Powers and astigmatism beyond those limits require trial frame and loose lens refraction.

Cylinder axis adjusts in 5° increments rather than the single degree offered on many instruments. For low and moderate cylinders this is adequate, since dispensing tolerances on axis widen as cylinder power falls. On high cylinders, where axis precision matters considerably more, the 5° step is a genuine limitation and the axis should be confirmed by trial frame. This is the main technical trade-off in the instrument and buyers should weigh it deliberately.

Open aperture in two positions, +1.50D retinoscopic lens, polarising lens at 45° left and 135° right, Maddox rods vertical and horizontal in white left and red right, red lens, +0.12D sphere, pinhole, dissociating prisms of 10Δ base in left and 6Δ base up right, ±0.50D fixed cross cylinder, and occluder. It is a complete working set for subjective refraction and binocular vision assessment.

Two ways, both supported directly. The dissociating prisms — 10Δ base in left eye and 6Δ base up right eye — support von Graefe measurement of horizontal and vertical phoria. The Maddox rods, available in both vertical and horizontal orientation and in white and red, support Maddox rod measurement as an alternative or cross-check. Having both on the same dial avoids interrupting the examination.

Because stray internal reflection lowers contrast, and the decisions that matter in subjective refraction happen at low contrast, when the patient is judging whether one presentation is genuinely clearer than another. Coated optics through the whole lens stack make that judgement more reliable and the endpoint easier to reach.

Manus is the manufacturer's specified cross cylinder lens type for this instrument. The literature supplied does not define the term further. If cross cylinder construction or provenance affects your purchasing decision, request a written description at enquiry — Medigear.uk will obtain it rather than paraphrase a term we cannot substantiate.

The manufacturer positions the range for hospital ophthalmology alongside spectacle shops and schools, and the fit is reasonable for clinic rooms used intermittently or by rotating staff. An instrument with no power requirement, no login and no software state is straightforward to place in a room that several people use for different purposes across a week. It still needs an arm or stand and an upright seated patient.

A near-point card with holder and reading rod, dust cover, face shield, accessory case for lenses, two -0.12D and -2.00D cylinder lenses, and two plano lenses for sealing the front openings. Beyond a mounting arm or stand, there is nothing further most practices need to specify.

A phoropter is a non-invasive ophthalmic measuring instrument, most consistently classified as Class I under the UK Medical Devices Regulations 2002, or higher where configuration dictates. Manufacturer CE marking is noted where it appears in the product literature; Medigear.uk confirms CE marking, the declaration of conformity and current UKCA status against the shipping batch at quotation rather than asserting it in advance.

Little, and none of it recurring cost. Clean the lens apertures and coated surfaces with appropriate lens tissue, clean the face shield between patients using manufacturer-approved agents, and use the dust cover whenever the instrument is idle — dust on coated optics is the principal enemy of a manual head. Mechanical dials and detents benefit from periodic inspection. There is no software, battery or calibration subscription. Typical warranty is 12 to 24 months against manufacturing defect, confirmed at quotation.