TEAR EVAPORIMETER FOR MEASURING WATER EVAPORATION RATE FROM THE TEAR FILM UNDER CONTROLLED CONDITIONS IN HUMANS
TEAR EVAPORIMETER FOR MEASURING WATER EVAPORATION RATE FROM THE TEAR FILM UNDER CONTROLLED CONDITIONS IN HUMANS
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DOI:
10.1016/0014-4835(83)90086-6
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发表时间:
1983-01-01
影响因子:
3.4
通讯作者:
REFOJO, MF
中科院分区:
文献类型:
--
作者:
ROLANDO, M;REFOJO, MF
The rate of water evaporation from the tear film depends on the conditions under which it is determined. If measured in a controlled and easily reproducible setting, tear evaporation rate could serve as a useful diagnostic and research tool. A tear evaporimeter was developed that provides a noninvasive method for evaluating water evaporation rate in eyes with normal or pathologic tear films. The subject [human] is fitted with a pair of swimmer''s goggles modified so that the air over the test eye is conditioned to a desired baseline of relative humidity (29.5%) and temperature (23 .+-. 1.degree. C). To eliminate other sources of water, the lids and skin under the goggles are covered with petroleum jelly. The subject is asked to keep his/her eye open and to avoid blinking during the 1-min test. The increase in relative humidity due to water evaporation from the tears is then determined. The surface area of the eye exposed to evaporation is calculated from the lid aperture. The water evaporation rate was measured in 52 normal eyes (average = 4.07 .times. 10-7 .+-. 0.40 .times. 10-7 g/cm2 per s) and compared the results with values obtained in 52 eyes with various tear-film abnormalities (average = 8.17 .+-. 10-7 .+-. 2.65 .+-. 10-7 g/cm2 per s). The difference between the 2 groups is statistically significant (P < 0.01). In normal eyes, after the instillation of 1 drop of 0.5% proparacaine, the increase in evaporation rate was statistically significant.