High Performance Noncontacting Tonometer

Glaucoma is a leading cause of blindness and strikes as many as 2% of the population overforty. Irreversible visual field loss usually occurs while the patient is asymptomatic. Early screening andtreatment can prevent or slow the loss of vision but is hampered by inadequate and expensivetechniques to measure intra-ocular pressure (IOP). Currently, the "Gold" standard for measuring the IOPis the Goldmann contact applanation tonometer, which requires the use of a topical anesthetic andappropriate clinical training, or the air-puff tonometer, which is inaccurate and uncomfortable for thepatient. We have developed technology for non-contact tonometry with potential for high accuracy,non-discomforting to the patient, and easy and quick to use. Our basic technology for the device hasbeen developed and demonstrated on rabbit cadaver eyes. In Phase I, we would complete theinstrument and perform basic tests on human subjects. In Phase II, additional modifications to theinstrument to improve accuracy would be implemented, more extensive clinical trials would beconducted, tests on subjects with scarred or swollen corneas would be conducted, and the potential ofthis technology for take-home use would be evaluated.