A simple technique for measurement of corneal thickness

Measurement of corneal thickness has potential benefit both in the fitting of contact lenses and in monitoring any pathology that could affect corneal thickness. Corneal thickness measurement is undertaken using an accessory to the biomicroscope, the optical pachometer, or by means of expensive apparatus such as the ultrasonic pachometer. There are other complex methods, such as laser Doppler interferometry, or ultrasonic rasters of the cornea. In this study, an easier and low cost method, based on the measurement of the optical section formed of the cornea by the biomicroscope illumination system, is proposed. The advantages of this new method are the simplicity of its experimental set-up which consists of a calibrated graticule in an eyepiece of the biomicroscope, the speed of the measurement which increases with practice and the low cost, due to the fact that the biomicroscope is standard equipment in the ophthalmic consulting room.