A method of measuring pupil-blocking force in the human eye.

A new method of measuring pupil-blocking force in the human eye is reported. The anterior segment of the eye was photographed using a slit-lamp apparatus and the color photographs then analyzed with a digitizer for converting the optical image of the anterior eye segment into the true image using a computer. This technique permits precise estimation of the relative positions of the anterior chamber, such as pupil margins, iris root insertions, and central anteroposterior pupillary axis. Pupil-blocking force was calculated from these data according to Hook's law. There was a statistically significant difference in pupil-blocking force between normal subjects (mean +/- SD, -0.027 +/- 0.029 lambda; lambda = Young's module) and patients with primary angle-closure glaucoma (mean +/- SD, +0.134 +/- 0.068 lambda) (P less than 0.001). In patients with primary angle-closure glaucoma, during an acute attack the pupil-blocking force was markedly high. This technique for measuring pupil-blocking force will provide valuable data for the analysis of the mechanism of primary angle-closure glaucoma.