Screening for Glaucoma--Through the Eyelid

An innovative device has turned screening for glaucoma into a safe, easy procedure, performed through the eyelid and without the use of anesthetic drops.

The Diaton is a small, pen-like, hand-held, portable tonometer that scans intraocular pressure (IOP) transpalpebrally (without touching the cornea). The tip of the tonometer rests on the eyeball through the upper eyelid during IOP measurement, and can freely move along the tonometer's axis relatively its body. This provides a constant static load on the eye during IOP measurement, with the eyelid acting as the transmissive part during the interaction. The tip is provided with supports in the form of two protrusions, which helps to eliminate damping properties of the eyelid as well as to fix the position of the tonometer in relation to the eyeball during measuring.

A built-in signaling indicator helps to control the vertical position of the tonometer directly before or during measuring; keeping the device in vertical position during tonometry provides optimal characteristics of the rod movement that increases measuring accuracy. An interrupted sound signal before measuring indicates the device's deviation from the vertical line for more than 4.5°, and the frequency of the sound signals increases as the tonometer is moved closer to a vertical line. Lack of the sound signal indicates that it is possible to carry out the measurement, as the device is in a vertical position. The tonometry result appears on the display and is preserved for 30 seconds. The Diaton tonometer is a product of BiCOM (Long Beach, NY, USA), and has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

"With the introduction of our unique tonometer Diaton, we're proud to challenge Glaucoma, a ‘silent thief of sight,' that carries an ever increasing threat of causing blindness as the aging population is growing in the U.S. and abroad,” said Roman Iospa, CEO of BiCOM.

Tonometry measures IOP by recording the resistance of the cornea to pressure by indentation. The transpalpebral approach was developed for patients with corneal concerns such as conjunctivitis, edema, erosion, cornea pathology, a high degree of ametropy or astigmatism, or for acquiring IOPs following laser refractive and other corneal surgeries.


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