Inventors:
Sharon Freedman - Durham NC, US
Phillip McKinley - Durham NC, US
Pratap Challa - Durham NC, US
Leon Herndon - Durham NC, US
Cynthia Toth - Durham NC, US
Ronald Overaker - Durham NC, US
Brian Dodge - Durham NC, US
Brian Applegate - Durham NC, US
Joseph Izatt - Durham NC, US
International Classification:
A61B 3/16, A61B 13/00
Abstract:
Ophthalmic instruments, systems and methods enable tonometry and pachymetry measurements to be conducted simultaneously. As such, a patient's intraocular pressure (IOP) corrected for corneal thickness may be determined accurately by a single corneal applanation. Preferably, the ophthalmic instruments have a reference surface at a distal end of the instrument, an applanation plate spaced from the reference surface, and a compliant mount for mounting the applanation plate for resilient displacements relative to the reference surface. The instrument most preferably has a housing such that the reference surface is located at a fixed position at one end of the housing, and the applanation plate is mounted to that one end of the housing in coaxial spaced alignment relative to the reference surface by means of the compliant mount. If desired, the housing may have a handle and a substantially orthogonal head piece containing suitable optic mirrors which allow visible light to pass therethrough so that the procedure can be viewed and/or photographed.