Description
What’s Included
- Reichert 11636 illuminated minus cylinder phoropter
- Power cable
- 90-day Digital Eye Center warranty
Condition & Warranty
Used. Carefully checked and working well, with some signs of use shown in the photos. Before shipping, every lens is individually cleaned and the buttons are lubricated, so dispatch may take slightly longer. Covered by a 90-day warranty on parts and workmanship.
Reichert Phoropter 11636 — Used Illuminated Minus Cylinder Refractor
This Reichert phoropter is the 11636, the minus cylinder version of Reichert’s Illuminated Phoroptor. It is built on the same manual refractor layout as the Ultramatic RX Master, and adds lighted sphere, cylinder power and cylinder axis scales so you can read the dials with the exam room lights off.
The 11636 covers sphere from -19.00 D to +16.75 D and cylinder from 0.00 to -6.00 D, both in 0.25 D steps, with a 0 to 20 prism diopter rotary prism and a 48 to 75 mm PD range. A single illumination control turns the scale lighting on and off. For practices that want a used Reichert phoropter with lighted dials, this unit is ready to mount on a standard refractor arm.
A prospective study indexed by the National Library of Medicine (J Cataract Refract Surg, 2021) found that autorefraction and wavefront aberrometry measured spherical equivalent more myopic than subjective refraction (-0.87 D and -0.90 D vs -0.60 D) in pseudophakic eyes, one reason the final prescription is still refined behind a phoropter.
Why Practices Choose the Reichert 11636
The 11636 keeps the familiar Reichert manual workflow and solves the most common annoyance of refracting in a dark lane: reading the scales.
- Lighted sphere, cylinder and axis scales — read the dials without a pen light or turning on the room lights.
- Minus cylinder layout — the convention used in most US optometry and ophthalmology refraction lanes.
- Sphere -19.00 D to +16.75 D in 0.25 D steps, with a +0.12 D sphere in the auxiliary dial.
- Cylinder 0.00 to -6.00 D in 0.25 D steps, axis on a double 0–180° scale with 5° graduations.
- Geared rotary prism — 0 to 20Δ in 1Δ graduations for finer interpolation of small prism amounts.
- ±0.25 D cross cylinder for Jackson cross cylinder axis and power refinement.
- PD 48 to 75 mm in 1 mm graduations, with a 5 to 28 inch near reading range.
- Made in the USA with corrosion-resistant materials.
Clinical Applications
- Routine subjective refraction — distance and near refraction in comprehensive eye exams.
- Astigmatism refinement — cross cylinder checks of cylinder axis and power.
- Binocular balance and phorias — rotary prism for dissociation and prism measurement.
- Near testing — 5 to 28 inch reading range for presbyopic add evaluation.
- Post-cataract refraction — manifest refraction to confirm the final spectacle prescription.
Who This Is For
- Optometry and ophthalmology practices adding or replacing a manual refraction lane.
- Groups already using Reichert phoropters that want matching controls across lanes.
- Doctors who refract in dim rooms and want lighted scales instead of a pen light.
- Practices upgrading from a non-illuminated Ultramatic RX Master (11625).
Technical Specifications
| Specification | Detail |
| Model | Reichert Illuminated Phoroptor 11636 (minus cylinder) |
| Sphere range | -19.00 D to +16.75 D, 0.25 D steps; +0.12 D sphere in auxiliary dial |
| Cylinder power | 0.00 to -6.00 D, 0.25 D steps |
| Cylinder axis | 360° (double 0–180° scale), 5° graduations |
| Prism | 0 to 20Δ rotary, 1Δ graduations |
| Cross cylinder | ±0.25 D |
| Pupillary distance | 48 to 75 mm, 1 mm graduations |
| Reading range | 5 to 28 inches (centimeter and diopter scales) |
| Illumination | Lighted sphere, cylinder power and cylinder axis scales; single control |
| Condition | Used |
| Warranty | 90-day Digital Eye Center warranty |
Compare Minus Cylinder Phoropter Options
| Feature | Reichert 11636 | Reichert 11625 | Marco RT-700 | Burton 7500-I |
| Cylinder system | Minus | Minus | Minus | Minus |
| Scale illumination | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
| Sphere range | -19.00 to +16.75 D | -19.00 to +16.75 D | -19.00 to +16.75 D | -19.00 to +16.75 D |
| Cylinder range | 0 to -6.00 D | 0 to -6.00 D | 0 to -6.00 D | 0 to -6.00 D |
| Rotary prism | 0–20Δ | 0–20Δ | 0–20Δ | Not listed |
| Condition / warranty | Used / 90 days | Used / 90 days | Used / 90 days | Used / 90 days |
| Price | $2,860 | $2,697 | $2,125 | $1,553 |
Prefer plus cylinder? See the Reichert 11635B. Need a lane stand for your refractor? See the Topcon OC-2200 chair with CS-IV stand.
Questions about the Reichert 11636? Contact us for availability and shipping details.



