Checking eye pressure has come a long way -- from the hand held Tonopen that allowed practitioners the ability to easily take checking eye pressure out of the exam chair (and even to screenings in nursing homes!) to the newer iCare tonometer with which doctors can obtain intraocular pressure readings without the need for numbing agents. The newest player in the world of non-invasive tonometry is the Diaton tonometer by Escalon which allows doctors to obtain intraocular pressures for the first time through the eyelid.
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| Diaton tonometry measured through the top eyelid via |
Because the pressure is assessed through the closed eye, the makers of Diaton report that it is ideal for use in pediatric patients, patients with corneal issues or after surgical procedures, and even after ocular traumas when eye pressure can be so telling about orbital penetration but is very difficult to obtain.
Some of the perks of the technology (in addition to being the most non-invasive tonometer on the market for patient comfort) include that there are no consumables involved in the use of the machine -- no need for disposable tips or intensive sterilization protocols because there is no contact with the cornea or conjunctiva.
While this technique allows a greater range of use in difficult situations, the makers of Diaton do not intend to have this technology directly compete with the industry's gold standard for determining and assessing progression of glaucoma: Goldmann tonometry. Studies that directly compare pressure readings in both glaucomatous and non-glaucomatous eyes showed that the Diaton measurements differed from Goldmann readings by less than 3 mm Hg in 83.3% of patients.
