Ocular Edge PWA Setup Guide

Ocular Edge is a modern, web-based visual acuity testing platform built for eye care professionals. It transforms any screen — from a Smart TV in your exam lane to a tablet at a screening event — into a clinically accurate, fully customizable acuity chart system.

This guide walks you through everything you need to go from unboxing a display to running your first eye exam. Whether you are an IT administrator deploying Ocular Edge across a multi-location practice, an office manager setting up a new exam room, or a doctor configuring the system yourself, these instructions will get you up and running in under 30 minutes.

What This Guide Covers

Ocular Edge is designed to run on virtually any device with a modern web browser. There is no special hardware to purchase and no software to install beyond the web app itself. Below are the requirements and recommendations for the best clinical experience.

Supported Browsers

Supported Devices

• Smart TVs — Samsung (Tizen), LG (webOS), Android TV, Google TV, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV. Launch via the built-in web browser.
• Desktop Monitors & Displays — Any monitor connected to a computer, mini PC (Intel NUC, Raspberry Pi, etc.), or media stick (Chromecast with Google TV, Fire TV Stick).
• Tablets — iPad (iPadOS 15.4+), Android tablets (Chrome). Excellent for portable screening and near-vision testing.
• Laptops & Desktops — Windows, macOS, Linux, ChromeOS. Use any supported browser.

Additional Requirements

• Screen Size — Minimum 10 inches (diagonal) recommended for clinical acuity testing. Larger screens (32" to 55") are ideal for exam lane use at standard testing distances.
• Internet Connection — Required for initial setup, account creation, lane activation, and receiving updates. After first load, Ocular Edge works fully offline.
• Physical Ruler or Measuring Tape — Needed during the one-time screen calibration process (see Step 6).
• Measuring Tape (for distance) — To measure the testing distance from the display to the patient's position (typically 20 feet / 6 meters).

Recommended (Optional)

Your admin account is the central hub for managing all of your exam lanes, subscriptions, and clinic branding. You only need one admin account per practice, even if you have multiple locations.

How to Sign Up

1. On any computer or mobile device, open your web browser and navigate to:
   ocularedge.net/admin/signup
2. Fill in the registration form:

   • Clinic Name — Your practice or organization name (e.g., "Valley Eye Associates")
   • Email Address — This will be your login email and where receipts are sent
   • Password — Minimum 8 characters; we recommend using a strong, unique password
3. Click "Create Account". A verification email will be sent to your email address.
4. Open the verification email and click the confirmation link. This activates your admin dashboard.
5. You will be redirected to your Admin Dashboard. From here you can manage lanes, subscriptions, branding, and account settings.

Each exam lane represents a single display device where visual acuity testing takes place. You will create a lane in the admin dashboard for every screen you want to use with Ocular Edge.

Creating a New Lane

1. Log in to your admin dashboard at ocularedge.net/admin
2. Navigate to the "Lanes" page from the left sidebar navigation.
3. Click the "Add Lane" button.
4. Enter a descriptive name for this lane. Use a name that your staff will easily recognize, such as:

   • "Exam Room 1" or "Exam Room 2"
   • "Lane A" or "Lane B"
   • "Dr. Smith's Office"
   • "Pre-Test Screening"
5. A 6-character activation code will be generated automatically. This code is what you will enter on the display device to pair it with your account. Keep note of this code — you will need it in Step 5.

Subscription Pricing

Each lane requires an active subscription. Choose the plan that works best for your practice:

Now it is time to load Ocular Edge on the actual device that will be used in your exam lane. This could be a Smart TV, a monitor connected to a mini PC, a tablet, or any other display.

Instructions

1. On your target display device (the TV, monitor, or tablet in your exam room), open the web browser.

   • Smart TV: Use the built-in web browser app (Samsung Internet, LG Browser, etc.)
   • Computer / Mini PC: Open Chrome, Edge, or your preferred browser
   • Tablet: Open Safari (iPad) or Chrome (Android)
2. Navigate to:
   ocularedge.net
3. The Ocular Edge application will load and display the activation screen. This screen will show a field where you can enter your lane activation code.

Installing Ocular Edge as a PWA gives you a native app-like experience: full-screen display without browser chrome, offline functionality, and a home screen icon for one-tap access. This is the recommended way to run Ocular Edge on all devices.

Why Install as a PWA?

• Full-Screen Mode — No address bar, tabs, or browser buttons. The chart fills the entire screen for maximum usable area.
• Offline Support — After the first load, Ocular Edge works without an internet connection. Charts, calibration, and all testing functionality are cached locally.
• App-Like Experience — Launches from the home screen or app drawer just like a native application. Patients see a polished, professional interface.
• Automatic Updates — The app updates itself silently in the background whenever a new version is available.

Installation Instructions by Device

Chrome or Edge (Windows, macOS, ChromeOS, Android)

1. With ocularedge.net loaded, look for the install icon in the browser address bar. It looks like a monitor with a down arrow, or a plus (+) symbol inside a circle.
2. Click the install icon and select "Install" or "Install App" when prompted.
3. Alternatively, open the browser menu (three dots in the top-right corner) and select "Install Ocular Edge" or "Add to Home Screen".
4. The app will install and immediately open in its own window, free of browser chrome.

Safari (iPad / iPhone)

1. With ocularedge.net loaded in Safari, tap the Share button (the square with an upward arrow at the top of the screen).
2. Scroll down in the share sheet and tap "Add to Home Screen."
3. Optionally edit the app name (the default "Ocular Edge" is recommended), then tap "Add".
4. The Ocular Edge icon will appear on your iPad home screen. Tap it to launch the app in full-screen mode.

Samsung Smart TV (Tizen)

1. Open the Internet browser app on your Samsung TV.
2. Navigate to ocularedge.net.
3. Press the Star/Bookmark button on your remote, or select the bookmark icon in the browser to save the page to your bookmarks.
4. For quick access, add the bookmark to the Home Screen if your TV model supports it. On newer Samsung TVs, select "Add to Home" from the browser menu.
5. Use the browser's full-screen mode (usually by pressing the remote's dedicated button or finding it in the browser menu) to hide the address bar during exams.

LG Smart TV (webOS)

1. Open the Web Browser app from the LG launcher bar.
2. Navigate to ocularedge.net.
3. Tap the Bookmark icon (star) in the browser's top navigation to save the page.
4. For easy access, you can rearrange the Web Browser in your LG launcher bar so it is easily accessible.
5. Enable the browser's full-screen mode to maximize the chart display area during exams.

Activation pairs your display device with your admin account. This is how Ocular Edge knows which clinic and lane a device belongs to, and it enables you to manage the device remotely from your dashboard.

Activation Steps

1. On the display device, you should see the Ocular Edge Activation Screen. It features a prominent code entry field in the center of the screen.
2. Retrieve the 6-character activation code from your admin dashboard (generated in Step 2). The code consists of uppercase letters and numbers — for example: A7K2M9.
3. Enter the activation code using the on-screen keyboard, a connected keyboard, or the remote control. Codes are not case-sensitive.
4. Press "Activate" or hit Enter. The device will verify the code with the server.
5. Upon successful activation, a confirmation message will appear on the display. The screen will then proceed to the Calibration Wizard (Step 6).
6. In your admin dashboard, the lane's status will change from "Pending" to "Active". You will also see the device name and its last-seen timestamp.

Screen calibration is the most clinically important step in the setup process. Ocular Edge must know the exact physical size of the pixels on your screen so that optotype letters are rendered at precisely the correct size for the testing distance. Without proper calibration, acuity measurements will be inaccurate.

Why Calibration Matters

Every screen has a different physical pixel density (DPI/PPI). A 20/20 letter at 20 feet must be exactly 8.87mm tall — no more, no less. Browser-reported DPI values are unreliable and vary widely across devices and operating systems. The only way to guarantee clinical accuracy is to calibrate against a known physical measurement: a real ruler.

Calibration Steps

1. After successful lane activation, the Calibration Wizard will launch automatically. If you need to recalibrate later, you can access it from the Settings menu.
2. An on-screen ruler will appear on the display, showing markings in both inches and centimeters.
3. Hold a physical ruler or measuring tape up to the screen, placing it directly alongside the on-screen ruler.
4. Use the adjustment controls (on-screen buttons, arrow keys, or your remote) to stretch or shrink the on-screen ruler until it exactly matches the markings on your physical ruler. Take your time — precision matters here.
5. Once the rulers match perfectly, confirm the calibration. The system will calculate and store the exact pixels-per-millimeter ratio for your screen.
6. Next, enter your testing distance — the distance from the display to the patient's position.

   • Standard: 20 feet (6.096 meters) for distance acuity
   • Alternative: 10 feet (3.048 meters) — for smaller rooms
   • Custom: Enter any distance in feet or meters
7. Press "Save Calibration." Your calibration profile is stored locally on the device and persists across sessions. You will not need to recalibrate unless you change the display or testing distance.

Ocular Edge allows you to fully brand the testing interface with your clinic's identity. Your logo, colors, and fonts appear on the chart display, giving patients a cohesive, professional experience that reinforces your practice's brand.

Branding Options

1. In your admin dashboard, navigate to the "Branding" page from the sidebar.
2. Upload Your Clinic Logo — Upload a PNG or SVG file of your practice logo. This will appear in the header bar of the chart display. For best results, use a horizontal (landscape) logo with a transparent background. Recommended size: at least 400px wide.
3. Set Primary Color — Choose the main accent color that represents your brand. This color is used for buttons, highlights, active states, and UI accents on the chart display.
4. Set Secondary Color — Choose a complementary color for secondary elements, hover states, and supporting UI components.
5. Choose Font Family — Select from a curated list of professional fonts for the interface text elements (not the optotype letters, which are always clinically standardized).
6. Configure Display Colors:

   • Title Color — The color of your clinic name text in the header bar
   • Bar Color — The background color of the top header bar
   • Background Color — The overall background color of the chart display area
7. Click "Save & Apply." Branding changes propagate to all active lanes associated with your account in real-time. There is no need to reconfigure individual devices.

Controlling the chart from across the exam room is essential for clinical workflow. The examiner typically stands near the patient, 20 feet from the display. A remote control or wireless input device lets you navigate chart lines, change chart types, and control the exam without walking to the screen.

Option A: FLIRC USB IR Receiver (Recommended)

FLIRC is a small USB dongle that receives infrared (IR) signals from any standard remote control and converts them into keyboard keystrokes. This means you can use any IR remote you already own — your TV remote, a universal remote, or even a cheap presentation clicker — to control Ocular Edge.

1. Purchase a FLIRC USB IR receiver from flirc.tv (approximately $22.95 USD).
2. Plug the FLIRC USB dongle into an available USB port on your display device (Smart TV USB port, computer, mini PC, etc.). FLIRC requires no drivers — it is recognized as a standard USB keyboard.
3. One-time configuration: On a separate computer, download and install the FLIRC Desktop Application from flirc.tv/downloads. Plug FLIRC into that computer temporarily.
4. In the FLIRC app, map buttons on your chosen remote to keyboard keys. Point your remote at the FLIRC dongle and press the button you want to map, then select the corresponding keyboard key.

Recommended Key Mappings

5. After mapping is complete, unplug FLIRC from the configuration computer and plug it back into your display device. The key mappings are saved on the FLIRC dongle itself, so they persist across devices.
6. Test by pointing your remote at the FLIRC receiver and pressing the mapped buttons. The chart should respond to each command.

Option B: Wireless Keyboard or Mouse

Any wireless keyboard, trackpad, or mouse connected to the display device (via USB receiver or Bluetooth) can be used to control Ocular Edge. This is a simple plug-and-play alternative if you prefer not to use an IR remote.

Option C: Smart TV Remote (Direct)

On Smart TVs, the built-in TV remote's arrow keys and OK/Enter button will work directly in the TV browser to navigate the Ocular Edge interface. No additional hardware is needed.

With your lane activated, screen calibrated, and remote configured, you are ready to start performing visual acuity tests. Ocular Edge offers 11 chart types covering the full range of clinical and screening needs.

Selecting a Chart

1. From the main screen, select a chart type from the chart selection menu. You can navigate the menu using your remote, keyboard, or touch screen.
2. The chart will load at the appropriate starting line based on your configured testing distance and the selected chart protocol.
3. Use the Up/Down controls to move between acuity lines. Each line displays the corresponding Snellen fraction (e.g., 20/20) and logMAR value.

Available Chart Types

Chart Type Quick Reference

ETDRS Per-Letter Scoring

When using the ETDRS chart, Ocular Edge automatically supports per-letter scoring. Each correctly identified letter contributes to the final logMAR acuity score. The system tracks correct responses per line and calculates the final acuity value following standard ETDRS scoring protocol. This is especially valuable for clinical research and tracking acuity changes over time with greater precision than whole-line scoring.

Below are solutions to the most common issues encountered during setup and daily use. If your issue is not listed here, please contact our support team.

We are here to help you get the most out of Ocular Edge. Whether you have a technical question, need help with setup, or want to provide feedback, our team is ready to assist.

Online Resources

Contact Support

Setup Checklist

Use this checklist to confirm your Ocular Edge deployment is complete:

• Admin account created and email verified
• Exam lane(s) created in admin dashboard with activation code(s)
• Subscription plan selected and payment configured
• Ocular Edge loaded on display device(s)
• PWA installed on each display (full-screen mode confirmed)
• Each lane activated with its 6-character code
• Screen calibrated with physical ruler on each display
• Testing distance measured and entered accurately
• Clinic branding (logo, colors) configured in admin dashboard
• Remote control or input device set up and tested (optional)
• Test run completed — chart displays correctly and navigation works