Clinical evaluation of the Shin-Nippon SRW-5000 autorefractor in children

The Canon Autoref R-1 is an 'open-field' autorefractor which has been widely used for research purposes for the past 20 years, but is no longer manufactured. A new autorefractor, the Shin-Nippon SRW-5000, is now available, and if measures using this instrument are shown to be equally accurate and reliable, is likely to replace the R-1. Here we report on the accuracy and reliability (repeatability and reproducibility) of refraction measures in a paediatric population (from 4 to 8 years of age). Subject numbers were 44 for cycloplegic measures and 53 for non-cycloplegic measures. As would be expected, agreement with cycloplegic refraction and reliability were better when SRW-5000 measures were taken using cycloplegia. Repeatability results from the SRW-5000 autorefractor, both with and without cycloplegia were similar to those reported for the Canon R-1.