Universal eye pressure impulse tonometer and method of measuring the intra-ocular pressure
OwnerAntonio Foddisinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A tonometer and method of measuring the intra-ocular pressure, comprising a three armed structure including a horizontal arm to which a weight can be applied and second and third arms extending obliquely upwardly and downwardly from the end of the horizontal arm, said third arm supporting a measuring body applicable to the eyeball to exert pressure thereon by the action of said weight to increase the intra-ocular pressure so that when said weight is suddenly removed said released increased pressure will cause the three-armed structure to oscillate and these oscillations are measured.
Claims8
A universal eye pressure impulse tonometer comprising a three-armed structure including a first arm generally horizontal in the normal operative position of the tonometer and adapted to receive a weight at a free end, a second arm rigidly connected to the other end of said first arm and extending obliquely upwardly therefrom, said first and second arms being of equal weight, and a third arm rigidly connected to said other end of said first arm and extending obliquely downwardly therefrom, said third arm having a weight greater than each of said first and second arms and carrying at its free end a measuring body adapted to be brought into engagement with an eyeball, said weight exerting a pressure through said three-armed structure and said measuring body on the eyeball to produce an increase of the intra-ocular pressure, said weight being removable so that the increased intra-ocular pressure thus released will cause oscillation of the three-armed structure about an axis of oscillation formed by the point of connection between said three arms, said oscillations being measurable by detecting means, aligned with and opposed to a portion of said first arm and responsive to its oscillations towards and away from said detecting means.
A method of measuring the intra-ocular pressure, comprising the steps of placing a three-armed structure with a first arm in a horizontal position and a second and third arm extending respectively upwardly and downwardly from one end of said first arm, said second and third arms being rigidly connected to said first arm, bringing a measuring body on the free end of said third arm into engagement with the eyeball, applying a weight to said first arm to exert a pressure on the eyeball through said three-armed structure and said measuring body, said pressure producing an increase of the intra-ocular pressure, suddenly removing the weight from said first arm whereby said increased intra-ocular pressure will cause oscillation of said three-armed structure about an axis of oscillation formed by the point of connection between said three arms, and measuring the amplitude and duration of said oscillations.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.