Clinical Usefulness of Non-Contact Tonometer

Keimyung Medical Journal 1989;8(2):314-317.

비접촉성 안압계의 임상적 유용성

진익도; 김기산; 오준섭

Abstract

The non-contact tonometer can measure intracocular pressure without touching the eye. A central area of the cornea(3.60 mm in diameter) is deformed by an air-pulse of linearly increasing force and the intant of applanation is determined by a monitoring system that senses light reflected from the corneal surface. The interval of time required for the air-pulse to produce applanation is proportional to IOP. The noncontact tonometer utilize the fundamental principles of applanation tonometry. It is calibrated against the Goldman tonometer. To evaluate non-contact tonometer clinically; intraocular pressure was measured with the non-contact tonometer(NCT) and the Goldman applanation tonometer(GAT) in 174 eyes of 101 subjects with normal corneas. The results were as follows. Mean intraocular pressure was 15.26±4.07 mmHG with the NCT; and 16.36土4.03 mmHG with the GAT respectively. The correlation coefficient at 0.79 was statistically significant at the p<0.0001 level. The regression analysis equation was y^ 4.34748+0.78861x. Intraocular pressures were gradually decreased with aging(p<0.05)’ but there was no sexual difference in intraocular pressure with the NCT and GAT.