A survey and comparative study on the instruments for glaucoma detection

Glaucoma is one of the leading causes of irreversible blindness worldwide. It has been proposed that the intraocular pressure is a causative factor in the development of glaucoma, which is an optic neuropathy. This paper surveys the use of tonometers, gonioscopes, optical coherence tomographs, scanning laser polarimeters, scanning laser ophthalmoscopes (also known as scanning laser tomographs) and corneal pachymeters for the diagnosis and management of glaucoma. The working mechanisms as well as the comparative advantages and disadvantages of each of these instruments are presented.