Guest post by Phil Turner, Technical Rescue Lead
At Role 1 Medical & Rescue, our Devonport Dockyard Medical Emergency Response Team (MERT) relies on the Arclight ophthalmoscope–loupe–otoscope as a core part of our kit. Here’s how we use it in practice, why it works so well in austere environments, and what we’ve learned on the job.
The dockyard is a high-risk industrial setting. Alongside the usual range of urgent care presentations, our clinicians see acute trauma, toxic exposures, and eye and ear injuries — often in tight, unfamiliar spaces with limited power or lighting. Rapid, accurate assessment is critical, and equipment must be lightweight, durable, and simple to operate. The Arclight consistently meets that brief.
Originally designed for low-resource settings, the Arclight is a pocket-sized multi-function device ideally suited to challenging industrial environments. Its compact size, solar and USB charging, bright LED illumination, intuitive mode switching, and optional phone adaptor help us work quickly and reliably in unpredictable conditions.
Role 1 Medical & Rescue response bag in front of dockyard incident response unit
How we use the Arclight in the dockyard
Ocular screening
We use the Arclight to check for hyphema, lens dislocation, corneal abrasions, and subtle anterior chamber changes. The loupe mode supports close inspection of the conjunctiva and cornea, while the ophthalmoscope mode helps assess red reflexes and optic discs. It has repeatedly enabled us to detect fine corneal abrasions — particularly with fluorescein — far more effectively than a pen torch.
Ear assessment
Blast and acoustic trauma are familiar occupational risks in the dockyard. The otoscope function allows us to identify tympanic membrane perforations, hemotympanum, and foreign bodies, with LED lighting that remains dependable even in noisy, poorly lit spaces.
Why it excels in austere environments
Our working conditions often mirror wilderness or expedition medicine: unreliable lighting, interrupted power supply, and cramped compartments accessed by ladders or narrow hatches. The Arclight’s solar/USB charging, small footprint, and durability mean it is always ready and easy for multiple team members to carry.
We have used it across ships, submarines, and our treatment centre. It performs reliably where traditional tools fail or are impractical — even after being dropped during drills. While not a replacement for a slit lamp or hospital-grade otoscope, it offers the right balance of capability and portability for pre-hospital care.
The Role 1 Medical & Rescue team are trained to deliver pre-hospital care in austere environments such as confined spaces
Case example: metal worker with corneal abrasion
Metal workers frequently present with eye irritation from grinding or cutting tasks. Tiny fragments are easy to miss but can cause significant discomfort and risk. With the Arclight, we can quickly identify subtle abrasions and, at times, early rust rings that would be invisible under a pen torch. Early detection supports prompt irrigation, pain management, and rapid ophthalmology referral, preventing avoidable complications and protecting eyesight.
Our use of the device is supported by operational audits, training drills, and collaboration with the Royal Eye Infirmary in Plymouth. Combined with its academic development at the University of St Andrews, this reinforces what we see daily: the Arclight is highly effective in high-risk, constrained environments.
Arclight being used with fluorescein drops to detect foreign objects in the eye.
Conclusion
In Devonport Dockyard, the Arclight has become indispensable. Compact, robust, and intuitive, it enhances our ability to assess eye and ear injuries, supports documentation and remote consultation, and fills a crucial capability gap before patients reach hospital. For teams working in resource-limited or confined settings, it is a tool worth adopting.
About Role 1 Medical & Rescue
Role 1 Medical & Rescue team.
Role 1 Medical & Rescue is a not-for-profit Community Interest Company (CIC). Instead of paying shareholders, we reinvest in our staff through fair wages, secure contracts, and high-quality training — and in the [communities we serve.
We integrate emergency healthcare with technical rescue services, enabling seamless care from point of rescue to hospital transport. As a CQC-registered provider, our goal is simple: no location or obstacle should prevent anyone from receiving high-quality emergency care as quickly as possible.