Tonometer Tips

A tonometer is a device general physicians and eye specialists use to measure the pressure of the eye, an important step in detecting glaucoma. In certain kinds of tonometers, the tips actually touch the eye, so the doctor uses a numbing drop to alleviate any patient discomfort. The tonometer measures specifically the production of the liquid inside the eye and the rate at which it drains into the tissue surrounding the cornea.

Tonometer helps to save sight

• The tonometer is one of the most useful devices to protect our sight. By detecting signs of glaucoma in its early stages, doctors can treat it and reduce loss of sight. Glaucoma can cause permanent vision loss. It has earned the title of the "silent thief of sight" because people don't have symptoms until it is well entrenched.

Hygiene important in handling tonometer tips

• To avoid infection during patient examinations, clean and disinfect tonometer tips after each use. Recap diagnostic drop bottles. Physicians should wash their hands between patients.

New kinds of tonometers available

• More and more ophthalmologists are switching to air-puff tonometers, which don't call for numbing drops and no tips touch the patient's eyes. The newest invention in this field is the Diaton tonometer, which allows the doctor to diagnose glaucoma over the upper eyelid, without touching the cornea.