[Erich Zeiss (1894-1975)--the first inventor of non-contact tonometry]

The first inventor of non-contact tonometry was the German ophthalmologist Erich Zeiss, grandson of Carl Zeiss. In 1951 he designed a "pneumatic" tonometer or "aerotonometer". A patent application was prepared but, regrettably, never sent to the Patent Office. This article pays tribute to Zeiss' achievements as a designer of ophthalmologic instruments.