What question did this study set out to answer?

This research aims to assess the reliability of the non-contact esthesiometer and its correlation with corneal nerves and ocular surface conditions.

June 2, 2026Ophthalmology Science0 citationsOpen Access

Non-contact esthesiometer: Large cohort study on agreement with contact method and correlations with corneal nerves and ocular surface

MYMingyi Yu CLChang Liu ILIsabelle Xin Yu Lee

Key Points

This research aims to assess the reliability of the non-contact esthesiometer and its correlation with corneal nerves and ocular surface conditions.
Conducted a cross-sectional study with 880 eyes across various conditions including dry eye disease and diabetes.
Measured corneal sensitivity using both non-contact and contact esthesiometers, with results analyzed in millinewtons.
Evaluated corneal nerve parameters and ocular surface parameters using in-vivo confocal microscopy.
Non-contact and contact esthesiometer measurements showed strong agreement across all tested conditions.
Corneal sensitivity correlated significantly with several corneal nerve metrics, with statistical significance p<0.01.
Significant differences were observed in ocular surface parameters among different eye conditions, particularly in dry eye disease.

Abstract

Purpose: To evaluate the repeatability of non-contact Brill esthesiometer (NBE), its agreement with Cochet-Bonnet esthesiometer (CBE), and the relationship between corneal sensitivity, corneal nerve metrics and ocular surface parameters.Design: Cross-sectional study. Subjects:This study included 880 eyes, comprising healthy controls (80 eyes), dry eye disease (DED, 170 eyes), neuropathic corneal pain (NCP, 140 eyes), post-refractive surgery (P-RS, 176 eyes), and diabetes mellitus (DM, 314 eyes).Methods: NBE and CBE measurements were obtained at central and four peripheral corneal quadrants.Both measurements were converted to millinewtons (mN) for analysis.In-vivo confocal microscopy for seven corneal nerve parameters and four ocular surface parameters were assessed.Main Outcome Measures: Agreement between NBE and CBE measurements. Correlations between NBE measurements

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