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Healio Ocular Surgery News OSN Coverage of Diaton tonometer and unique Non-corneal capabilities of IOP through eyelid and sclera

By September 1, 2015March 30th, 2017No Comments

Healio Ocular Surgery News OSN Coverage of Diaton tonometer and unique capabilities of IOP through eyelid and sclera

Diaton tonometer receives coverage by popular ophthalmology magazine Healio / Ocular Surgery News with a title – "Diaton tonometer yields IOP readings without corneal contact" – it discusses Diaton's ability of obtaining IOP independent of corneal biometrics and it's use in cornea and glaucoma practices.Dr. Emil Chynn from Park Avenue LASEK shares his experience with the device: http://www.healio.com/ophthalmology/glaucoma/news/print/ocular-surgery-news/%7B9555b430-44dd-4ad9-a902-704845743b86%7D/diaton-tonometer-yields-iop-readings-without-corneal-contact

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“There are certain conditions where you cannot achieve a reliable pressure through the cornea,” Emil W. Chynn, MD, FACS, MBA, of Park Avenue Laser Vision in New York, told Ocular Surgery News. Such conditions include eyes with severe scarring, corneal edema, ocular trauma or a keratoprosthesis.

“At my practice, this represents a small percentage of patients, between 5% and 10%,” Chynn said. “And for general ophthalmologists, it might be only 1% to 2% of patients.”

On the other hand, many children cannot tolerate anyone touching their eyes, so in the pediatric population, perhaps 90% of patients would do better with the Diaton pen (BiCOM) than with Goldmann applanation tonometry, Chynn said.

No contact with cornea

According to Chynn, the Diaton pen is a reputable tonometer that accurately measures IOP. Except for air-puff tonometry, other devices that measure IOP, including the gold-standard Goldmann applanation tonometry, involve contact with the cornea.

There are inherent “dangers” in using a device that touches the cornea, Chynn said, citing corneal abrasion and infection.

“The No. 1 reason non-ophthalmologists shy away from tonometry is that they are afraid of causing a corneal abrasion,” he said.

On the other hand, air-puff testing is not as accurate as Goldmann applanation tonometry.

“I suspect that most ophthalmologists would agree that the air-puff is only good as a screening device,” Chynn said.

The Diaton is useful as a screening device for non-ophthalmologists such as general practitioners, internists or emergency department physicians because there is no contact with the cornea, only the upper eyelid. “There is also no risk of infection or abrasion,” Chynn said.

 

More information about Diaton tonometer can be obtained at http://www.TonometerDiaton.com