SciMed
Ishihara Color Vision Test Book with Occluder — 38 Plates
Ishihara Color Vision Test Book with Occluder — 38 Plates
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Ishihara pseudoisochromatic color vision test book — the world-standard tool for screening congenital red-green color blindness (protanopia, deuteranopia). Accepted by leading ophthalmology + optometry + occupational health authorities for over a century. Includes tests to determine kind + degree of color vision defect. Four special classification plates distinguish protanopia from deuteranopia. Album-format book, easy handling in clinic + occupational health screening. Includes eye occluder for monocular testing. $75 (24 plates) / $79 (38 plates).
Variant selection
| Variant | Plate count | Best for | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 24 Plates | 24 plates (screening subset) | Occupational health screening, school health, quick clinic screening — sufficient for detect / not-detect binary decision | $75 |
| 38 Plates | 38 plates (full clinical set) | Ophthalmology / optometry clinic — full diagnostic including protanopia vs deuteranopia classification + severity grading | $79 |
Applications
- Ophthalmology + optometry clinic — standard vision workup, congenital defect screening
- Pediatric screening — school-entry + school-age vision screening (essential — many undiagnosed color-blind children)
- Occupational health screening — pilots, mariners, electricians, chemists, railway operators, emergency responders (color-critical jobs)
- Pre-employment vision testing — military, police, transit, safety-critical positions
- DMV / driver's licensing (in some jurisdictions where color vision affects licensing)
- Sports vision testing — visual performance workup for elite athletes
- School nurse offices — routine vision + color screening
- Research + academic studies — color perception research (with adult subjects)
How the Ishihara test works
- Pseudoisochromatic plates — colored dot patterns with embedded numerals or paths visible to normal color vision but invisible / different to color-blind viewers
- Number plates — subject reads embedded numeral (e.g., "5" in dot pattern). Normal vision reads correctly; red-green defect misreads or fails
- Path-tracing plates — subject traces winding path across plate. Used for children or non-literate patients
- Classification plates (in 38-plate set) — different numerals visible to protanopes vs deuteranopes, allowing specific defect subtype diagnosis
- Testing conditions — natural daylight or 6500K daylight lamp (NOT incandescent or standard LED — color temperature affects perception)
- 75 cm viewing distance, monocular — occluder covers one eye at a time
Best for
- Ophthalmology + optometry clinics (essential diagnostic tool)
- School nurse offices + pediatricians
- Occupational health + industrial medicine
- Military + police + aviation medical exams
- Optometry / ophthalmology teaching (student learning primary color diagnostics)
- Research labs studying color vision + color perception
- International DDP procurement — global vision screening programs
Buying for a school district, occupational health, or eye clinic?
- Volume pricing on 5+ books (equip multi-school district or multi-lane clinic)
- Net-30 invoicing for verified academic + government + clinic accounts
- SAM.gov / VA compliant for federal + military vision screening
- Bundle with SciMed trial frames + occluders + eye charts — full vision screening kit
- International DDP shipping — global school + occupational health procurement
FAQ
24-plate vs 38-plate — which do I need?
24-plate = screening set (adequate for occupational health, school, quick clinic screening — "does patient have red-green defect: yes/no"). 38-plate = full clinical diagnostic set (includes classification plates to distinguish protanopia from deuteranopia + severity assessment). Ophthalmology / optometry clinic should use 38-plate. School / OccHealth / screening use → 24-plate is sufficient and $4 cheaper.
What lighting is required?
Natural daylight OR 6500K daylight-corrected lamp (illuminating booth or Ishihara-approved daylight source). AVOID standard incandescent (warm tint distorts colors) and standard cool-white LED (spectrum gaps). Correct lighting is CRITICAL for valid test results — inadequate lighting produces false positives and negatives.
Does this test blue-yellow color blindness?
NO. Ishihara detects red-green defect only (protanopia + deuteranopia — the vast majority of congenital color blindness, ~8% of males + 0.5% of females). For blue-yellow (tritanopia — very rare) or acquired color vision defects (retinal disease, optic nerve damage), use Farnsworth D-15 or 100-hue tests.
Can I test children?
Yes — 24-plate has path-tracing plates for non-literate children (trace the winding line). Reliable from age 4-5+ with adequate cooperation. School-age children respond well. Screen ideally at school-entry age (~5-6 years).
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