A new tonometer based on the application of micro-mechanical sensors

An instrument for the measurement of intraocular pressure (IOP) is presented. It consists of a micromachined silicon sensor, which measures the diameter of a flattened part of the eye globe and simultaneously determines the smallest distance between the center of the sensor and the contour of this applanation. In the center of this applanation sensor a micro mechanical plunger is realized, which transfers the applied pressure to a separate force sensor. Preliminary results show that this sensor may improve the accuracy of Mackay-Marg-based electronic tonometers.<
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