Future glaucoma instrumentation: Diagnostic and therapeutic

Abstract

Glaucoma is a complex set of diseases that are based on a clinical diagnosis. There is no blood test that can provide a definitive diagnosis of glaucoma, and it is rare that a single diagnostic test can reveal the presence of glaucoma. More often a variety of information is necessary for glaucoma diagnosis. Fortunately, a wide array of data that can be obtained about this disease and medical technology and instrumentation continue to play important roles in the assessment of the glaucomatous disease state and its treatment. The current state of ocular imaging, functional assessment, and surgical treatment has been discussed in previous chapters. This chapter aims to go beyond that, to assess what needs still exist and how technologies could realistically help meet them. © 2010 Springer-Verlag New York.