Different BIO's??

[Blondiechick919]

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So I'm a first year and my school sent us an email today saying that we have a "mandatory equipment fair" in 2 weeks when we will be buying our BIO's. This seems insane to me as we don't start using them til the fall, but I digress. My question is, for the LARGE jump in price from the WA to the Heine or Keeler, what's the big difference? It's already going to sting enough paying $1300 for the "cheaper" one, what can POSSIBLY be the difference for $2500?? Any advice is greatly appreciated.

 

[KHE]

So I'm a first year and my school sent us an email today saying that we have a "mandatory equipment fair" in 2 weeks when we will be buying our BIO's. This seems insane to me as we don't start using them til the fall, but I digress. My question is, for the LARGE jump in price from the WA to the Heine or Keeler, what's the big difference? It's already going to sting enough paying $1300 for the "cheaper" one, what can POSSIBLY be the difference for $2500?? Any advice is greatly appreciated.

They are all basically the same and will allow you do a good job. Don't worry about the price as this will presumably be a device that you will use for years. Mine is 20 years old and still works great.

My recommendation.....get whichever one feels the best on your head.

 

[cjensen20]

So I'm a first year and my school sent us an email today saying that we have a "mandatory equipment fair" in 2 weeks when we will be buying our BIO's. This seems insane to me as we don't start using them til the fall, but I digress. My question is, for the LARGE jump in price from the WA to the Heine or Keeler, what's the big difference? It's already going to sting enough paying $1300 for the "cheaper" one, what can POSSIBLY be the difference for $2500?? Any advice is greatly appreciated.

The WA is a wired set only...so you are attached to an extension cord
and the Heine and Keeler have both versions...(though they dont like to admit they have the wired versions) the price difference could possibly, in part, be the wired WA vrs the wireless Heine and Keeler's

in my opinion...The Keeler has a nice feature with a xenon super white light....sounds cool...but IT HURTS...the doctor gets a pretty good view...but the patient is hurting big time....think about it...those same lights are put on the super white car headlights and high beams, they hurt on the road: imagine them right on your fovea.

While yes...its brighter...it may not really be better. (colors may not be as true with the xenon spectrum) I get an excellent view with my heine plenty good without torturing the patient.

but is it worth the extra price? thats only up you to decide. I'd take KHEs advice to heart 😉

 

[Gigan988]

Only 2 people in my class of 84 got the Welch, me being one of them. Works just fine so far. I got the Heine handhelds because of their lifetime warranty, but Heine doesn't offer this on their BIO.

 

[20DOC20]

I bought a Propper head mounted Small-Pupil BIO way back in the mid-1990's when I was a student and it still works and it is my BIO of choice to this day. The only problem has been with some of the chargers, which I had damaged by dropping on the floor, or just wore out. The electrical cord from the BIO to the charger went bad after 12 yrs in practice and they replaced it. No problem with the BIO itself. The company was bought by Heine and they have a similar model today. I may have had to change the bulb once - can't remember.

The head mount is so awesome that you can see ora on most patients without dilation, with training and experience, of course.

Patients like the scope because it has a yellow comfort filter and adjustable rheostat.

I also have a backup Heine Spectacle mount BIO and I bought the cheaper version with a diffuser and I don't like it as much. I like the version that provides a crisp circle of light for the view. The spectacle mount is so heavy that it hurts my nose.

I don't like the Welch-allyn Indirects or Directs because I can't see as well with them. You can't do a decent undilated peripheral fundus exam with the WA indirects, and you can't even see very well with them undilated and direct. They're just not as good. In short, they S*CK!

However, that said, Welch Allyn makes a far superior retinoscope than Heine or any other companies.I have a WA retinoscope. It is awesome.

So, that's advice from an OD who's been practicing for over 15 years.

The increased fee for the Heine BIO is worth it because if you work commercial optometry you WILL be required to know how to do an undilated fundus exam and for legal reason's you WILL need to be proficient and skilled enough to see ora with it in most patients. You can't do that with the other scopes, in my experience. (You have to work FAST in commercial and the Heine BIO will allow you to do it).

The other option is Slit lamp BIO combined 120D lens. The view with that lens is superior to Optomap! I actually do slit-lamp BIO more often than headmounted. Also, I have the patient turn their eyes in all quadrants with the 120D and you can see ora in most patients. I combine it with 78D lens for a good view of the macula.

The 120D lens I have is called Ultraview SP. It's hard to find anymore though. Only drawback is that you have to be close to the patient's eye to get a full-field view. It requires daily cleaning. Other than that, it is awesome!

 

[Blondiechick919]

I bought a Propper head mounted Small-Pupil BIO way back in the mid-1990's when I was a student and it still works and it is my BIO of choice to this day. The only problem has been with some of the chargers, which I had damaged by dropping on the floor, or just wore out. The electrical cord from the BIO to the charger went bad after 12 yrs in practice and they replaced it. No problem with the BIO itself. The company was bought by Heine and they have a similar model today. I may have had to change the bulb once - can't remember.

The head mount is so awesome that you can see ora on most patients without dilation, with training and experience, of course.

Patients like the scope because it has a yellow comfort filter and adjustable rheostat.

I also have a backup Heine Spectacle mount BIO and I bought the cheaper version with a diffuser and I don't like it as much. I like the version that provides a crisp circle of light for the view. The spectacle mount is so heavy that it hurts my nose.

I don't like the Welch-allyn Indirects or Directs because I can't see as well with them. You can't do a decent undilated peripheral fundus exam with the WA indirects, and you can't even see very well with them undilated and direct. They're just not as good. In short, they S*CK!

However, that said, Welch Allyn makes a far superior retinoscope than Heine or any other companies.I have a WA retinoscope. It is awesome.

So, that's advice from an OD who's been practicing for over 15 years.

The increased fee for the Heine BIO is worth it because if you work commercial optometry you WILL be required to know how to do an undilated fundus exam and for legal reason's you WILL need to be proficient and skilled enough to see ora with it in most patients. You can't do that with the other scopes, in my experience. (You have to work FAST in commercial and the Heine BIO will allow you to do it).

The other option is Slit lamp BIO combined 120D lens. The view with that lens is superior to Optomap! I actually do slit-lamp BIO more often than headmounted. Also, I have the patient turn their eyes in all quadrants with the 120D and you can see ora in most patients. I combine it with 78D lens for a good view of the macula.

The 120D lens I have is called Ultraview SP. It's hard to find anymore though. Only drawback is that you have to be close to the patient's eye to get a full-field view. It requires daily cleaning. Other than that, it is awesome!

Thanks for all your input guys!! I ended up getting the Heine one even though it was about $700 more than the WA. I initially was looking just to save money, but took KHE's advice and figured, if i'll have this for presumably my whole career, what difference is $700? Plus, the battery life was WAY better on the Heine and it was lighter and I have a big head and small body, lol.

20 Doc 20, can you clarify the 120D technique you mentioned? I've never heard of it. I want to go into peds, so do you know what I'll be using most likely?