Find out what after the break.
The need to understand corneal biomechanical properties has significantly increased over the past few years as a result of better glaucoma diagnosis, increase in laser refractive surgery and various corneal ectasia diagnosis rates. Corneal bio-mechanical properties have been identified as playing a significant role in both the measurement of IOP and also the outcomes of various conditions or procedures.
Up until recently the only tonometer which could compensate for corneal bio-mechanics was the Pascal DCT. However, these are fiddly to use and require disposable sterile sheaths (a hidden running cost). Even the Goldmann, our current gold standard, is based of flawed assumptions that the standard corneal thickness does not deviate significantly and that corneal thickness is counterbalanced in the IOP measurement.
The Corvis ST seems to be designed to overcome all the problems above. It uses a non-contact tonometer and ultra high speed Scheimflug imaging technology (a super fast camera system that images at 4300fps!) to measure corneal deformation during the non-contact tonometry. The resultant information allows accurate predictions on corneal properties and anterior chamber actions in a variety of scenarios.
In the video below we can see the cornea going from its normal state, to an applanated state, concave phase through an oscillation period before returning to a second applanation phase and then an outgoing to normal phase. (in real-time that's happening in 30ms!).
This level of detail and the analysis it allows it simply unprecedented in current practice. It is potentially a revolution in our treatment, management and care of patients.
I am fortunate enough to be getting my hands on one of these for a preview period and will report back with more as I have it.
Can you see a niche in your practice for such level of anterior segment examination?
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