Infrared Goggles: A Comparative Guide for Vestibular Therapists
At North 49, the three common questions we get asked about infrared goggles are:
- Can we get a discount rate on goggles through North 49?
- Do I really need goggles?
- Which goggles do you recommend?
Can we get a discount rate on goggles through North 49?
The answer to the first question is, unfortunately no. That being said, we would really appreciate that if you end up buying a pair of goggles from Vestibular First that you use: https://vestibularfirst.com/?referredby=507 as it allows us to collect points that we redeem to purchase anatomical models that we give out as draws at our weekend courses. From time to time we also have give-away draws for our monthly newsletter subscribers.
Do I really need goggles?
In the realm of vestibular therapy, infrared goggles are akin to a physician's stethoscope – not always essential, but immensely valuable in refining diagnoses and treatment plans. Unless exclusively practicing telehealth, investing in a pair of infrared goggles is strongly advised.
Maybe we will share more about our thoughts of this in a future blog post.
Which goggles do you recommend?
While we refrain from favouring specific brands, let's compare between some options available in North America being the Vestibular First infrared goggles and the Interacoustics VNG goggles. While both employ infrared technology, the VNG goggles incorporate software for measuring nystagmus, contributing to the higher price point. For us at North 49, clinically we do not need to measure nystagmus. We just want to be able to see it.
Being able to measure nystagmus is not the only difference between the two brands, so let’s break it down.
Side by side comparison
Note: The Vestibular First goggles are labeled “For Research Purposes Only” for international customers including those in Canada, which indicates that international clinicians should follow their local laws and regulations when providing patient care. Visit https://vestibularfirst.
Hack with older goggles
If you can find an older set of Micromedical infrared goggles or any other goggles that have an A/V connection (yellow, black, red) you can retrofit them with a AV to USB video capture device that you can buy on Amazon and enable it to live feed onto your computer using OBS software.
Micromedical vs Interacoustics
If you are wondering who is Micromedical? They were a company who made infrared goggles and were bought out by Interacoustics several years ago. In Canada Interacoustic goggles can be purchased through Diatec.
What we have at North 49
At North 49 we have four older sets of the monocular Micromedical goggles and they just keep working with the hack outlined above. I think some of the goggles have been around longer than a few of our team have been physical therapists. As our team has expanded, we have added two sets of the Vestibular First goggles that have also served us well. Their binocular function and portability have come in handy.
Moving forward
We hope that this information helps with your decision-making process in acquiring infrared goggles.
To see our review of Vestibular First's goggles on YouTube, check out this link. Additionally, both Vestibular First and Interacoustics offer valuable learning resources, many of which are complimentary.
If you require further clarification or guidance, please don't hesitate to reach out to us at North 49.
Author
Kregg Ochitwa
Physical Therapist I Vestibular Therapist I Clinic Owner
