The treatment of several eye conditions, glaucoma in particular, requires the measurement of intraocular pressure (tonometry). Existing instruments are complicated by the need for contact with the cornea, or great expense. This proposal is to investigate the feasibility of a noncontacting Cornea Vibration Tonometer (CVT). Its operation would be based on measuring cornea vibrations induced by ambient or acoustic vibration. The cornea vibration would be measured with a noncontacting optical probe. Preliminary analysis and data suggest that a pressure-sensitive frequency response exists and can be used to determine intraocular pressure. The device would be simple to use, even by the patient, and be relatively inexpensive. This program plans to perform laboratory and clinical tests to evaluate the feasibility of the CVT and correlate its performance with existing tonometric devices.
NIH ExPorter
NIH ExPorter