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Home tonometers

Question:

"Tony W." <tony_f…@hotmail.com> wrote in message

news:3F9E1A58.B56BAA35@hotmail.com… > How can I get a home tonometer? > Go to > How much do they cost? > My recollection is that it cost about $70-$80. > How reliable are they? > How can I find out more information about them?

See http://www.bausch.com.br/br/resource/pharma/proview.jsp

Response:

How can I get a home tonometer? How much do they cost? How reliable are they? How can I find out more information about them?

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -Earle Jones wrote: > In article <3F9E1A58.B56BA…@hotmail.com>, >  "Tony W." <tony_f…@hotmail.com> wrote: > > How can I get a home tonometer? > > How much do they cost? > > How reliable are they? > > How can I find out more information about them? > * > The only home tonometer I know of is one that is made in Germany — I > don’t know much about it — we discussed it here on this newsgroup a > couple of years ago. > There is a fundamental problem in home tonometry — the topical > anesthetic that must be used before the measurement. > The only really accurate tonometers touch the surface of the cornea — > they work by measuring the force required to flatten a given area. > The IOP (intra-ocular pressure) can be inferred from this force. > The doctor gives you a small bit of anesthetic — an eye drop —  then > applies the tonometer tip to the eye. > In order to do this at home, it would be necessary to use a similar > anesthetic.  I don’t think any responsible ophthalmologist would allow > a patient to do this.  The danger is that, when the eye is > anesthesized, the patient would not feel a small corneal scratch or > any other corneal problem.  This could be lead to big problems — > infection, etc.

Thanks for the replies. The tonometer I was looking for is the Bausch and Lomb one (http://www.bausch.com.br/br/resource/pharma/proview.jsp), which Sherwin provided the link to in his response. That tonometer — the Proview Eye Pressure Monitor — doesn’t require an anesthetic. Has anyone here tried that one? Tony – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> There are two types of tonometers that do not touch the cornea > directly — the "air-puff" and the scleral tonometers.  The air-puff > tonometer (made by American Optical (I think)) uses a small calibrated > puff of air on the corneal surface and measures the flattened area. > This approach requires a physically large (and expensive) machine — > not practical for home use.  The scleral tonometers measure the force > required to flatten a given area of the sclera — the hard white part > of the eye.  These are not nearly as accurate as corneal applanation > tonometers. > And so, for the time being, I suspect that we will not see a > successful home tonometer in use here in the US. > earle > * > I am an engineer and not a health-care professional.

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -"Tony W." <tony_f…@hotmail.com> wrote in message <news:3FA34240.A08FC163@hotmail.com>… > Earle Jones wrote: > > In article <3F9E1A58.B56BA…@hotmail.com>, > >  "Tony W." <tony_f…@hotmail.com> wrote: > > > How can I get a home tonometer? > > > How much do they cost? > > > How reliable are they? > > > How can I find out more information about them? > > * > > The only home tonometer I know of is one that is made in Germany — I > > don’t know much about it — we discussed it here on this newsgroup a > > couple of years ago. > > There is a fundamental problem in home tonometry — the topical > > anesthetic that must be used before the measurement. > > The only really accurate tonometers touch the surface of the cornea — > > they work by measuring the force required to flatten a given area. > > The IOP (intra-ocular pressure) can be inferred from this force. > > The doctor gives you a small bit of anesthetic — an eye drop —  then > > applies the tonometer tip to the eye. > > In order to do this at home, it would be necessary to use a similar > > anesthetic.  I don’t think any responsible ophthalmologist would allow > > a patient to do this.  The danger is that, when the eye is > > anesthesized, the patient would not feel a small corneal scratch or > > any other corneal problem.  This could be lead to big problems — > > infection, etc. > Thanks for the replies. > The tonometer I was looking for is the Bausch and Lomb one > (http://www.bausch.com.br/br/resource/pharma/proview.jsp), which Sherwin > provided the link to in his response. > That tonometer — the Proview Eye Pressure Monitor — doesn’t require an anesthetic. > Has anyone here tried that one? > Tony > > There are two types of tonometers that do not touch the cornea > > directly — the "air-puff" and the scleral tonometers.  The air-puff > > tonometer (made by American Optical (I think)) uses a small calibrated > > puff of air on the corneal surface and measures the flattened area. > > This approach requires a physically large (and expensive) machine — > > not practical for home use.  The scleral tonometers measure the force > > required to flatten a given area of the sclera — the hard white part > > of the eye.  These are not nearly as accurate as corneal applanation > > tonometers. > > And so, for the time being, I suspect that we will not see a > > successful home tonometer in use here in the US. > > earle > > * > > I am an engineer and not a health-care professional.

I examined the Proview by B & L myself in the office.  This is a small cylindrical device with a spring and plunger inside and a tiny gauge on the side to read the IOP.  You are supposed to press this on the upper outer corner of the closed eyelid until the image of a ring is seen by the patient (as you would see if you closed your eye and pushed on your eyelid with your finger).  I found this device to be difficult in producing a well-visualized and constant endpoint for the patient.  If it is not terribly accurate, what is the point?  The company was hoping to sell it to the ophthalmologist for $75 each and allowing us to offer it for $150 to patients.  From what I can see, these devices have not achieved any widespread support or use in the ophthalmic community.  Save your money. –Rick Cohn, MD Glaucoma Specialist Winter Park, FL

Response:

In article <3F9E1A58.B56BA…@hotmail.com>,  "Tony W." <tony_f…@hotmail.com> wrote: > How can I get a home tonometer? > How much do they cost? > How reliable are they? > How can I find out more information about them?

* The only home tonometer I know of is one that is made in Germany — I don’t know much about it — we discussed it here on this newsgroup a couple of years ago. There is a fundamental problem in home tonometry — the topical anesthetic that must be used before the measurement. The only really accurate tonometers touch the surface of the cornea — they work by measuring the force required to flatten a given area.   The IOP (intra-ocular pressure) can be inferred from this force. The doctor gives you a small bit of anesthetic — an eye drop —  then applies the tonometer tip to the eye. In order to do this at home, it would be necessary to use a similar anesthetic.  I don’t think any responsible ophthalmologist would allow a patient to do this.  The danger is that, when the eye is anesthesized, the patient would not feel a small corneal scratch or any other corneal problem.  This could be lead to big problems — infection, etc. There are two types of tonometers that do not touch the cornea directly — the "air-puff" and the scleral tonometers.  The air-puff tonometer (made by American Optical (I think)) uses a small calibrated puff of air on the corneal surface and measures the flattened area.   This approach requires a physically large (and expensive) machine — not practical for home use.  The scleral tonometers measure the force required to flatten a given area of the sclera — the hard white part of the eye.  These are not nearly as accurate as corneal applanation tonometers. And so, for the time being, I suspect that we will not see a successful home tonometer in use here in the US. earle * I am an engineer and not a health-care professional.

Response:

Tony, A Google search on "home tonometer" just now produced over 5,000 results. Help yourself.  This question has come up many times over the years, and my recollection of the responses is that the devices available are a) very expensive, and b) impractical, imprecise and not worth much.  But, never having tried one, I can’t give you any direct testimony on them. Good luck to you. Don Singleton – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -"Tony W." wrote: > How can I get a home tonometer? > How much do they cost? > How reliable are they? > How can I find out more information about them?

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