What is the purpose of a keratometer?

The purpose of a keratometer is to measure the curvature of the cornea. This instrument provides valuable information regarding the shape of the cornea, which is crucial for various aspects of eye care, including contact lens fitting, astigmatism assessment, and understanding overall corneal health. The measurements obtained from a keratometer help eye care professionals determine the corneal profile, which plays a critical role in refractive surgery planning and diagnosing corneal disorders.

Other options relate to different aspects of eye evaluation: assessing intraocular pressure is typically done using a tonometer, evaluating retinal health involves tools like fundus cameras or OCT (Optical Coherence Tomography), and determining visual field requires perimetry. Each of these tests serves a distinct purpose, but none directly measure corneal curvature like the keratometer does.