Increasing Prevalence of Chronic Eye Diseases to Augment the Tonometers Market Growth

 

Tonometers, also known as hand-pieces, are mechanical devices that measure eye pressure and the flow of fluid through the cornea, lens and retina. They play an important role in various fields of medicine such as ophthalmology, optometry, clinical measurements, and medical lasers. The most common use of a tonometer is for measuring intraocular pressure or the pressure of the fluid within the eye, which occurs during normal vision.

Other uses include in the diagnosis and treatment of certain eye diseases, for obtaining an accurate reading of the pressure of tears during the night, and to prevent or detect possible internal bleeding or infections in the eye. Tonometry is a diagnostic test primarily used to detect glaucoma, one of the leading cause of irreversible blindness worldwide.

Market Dynamics:

Increasing incidence or prevalence of chronic eye diseases such as glaucoma is expected to propel the tonometers market growth. For instance, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 3 million people in the United States have glaucoma. It is the second leading cause of blindness worldwide after cataract. Around 50% of people with glaucoma don’t know they have the disease.

Moreover, growing geriatric population and increasing prevalence among people is expected to augment the growth of the tonometers market. For instance, according to World Health Organization (WHO), the world's population aged 60 years and older is expected to total 2 billion by 2050, up from 900 million in 2015.

However, the risks associated with the use of tonometer is expected to restrain the growth of the tonometers market. For instance, the use of contact tonometer may lead to risk of infection or corneal abrasion, while non-contact tonometer have low accuracy level in the measurement of the intraocular pressure.

Competitive Analysis:

Major players operating in the tonometers market are Reichert Technologies, NIDEK CO., HAAG-STREIT GROUP, Topcon Corporation, Icare Finland Oy (Icare Finland is a part of Revenio Group Corporation), and Canon Inc.

Major players in the market are increasingly focused on launching new and innovative products to strengthen their product portfolio or to enhance their market presence. For instance, in May 2020, Icare USA launched ic200 handheld tonometer for intraocular pressure measurement. It measures intraocular pressure without anesthetic drops, air puffs, or specialized skills.

Moreover, in 2018, Keeler launched wireless non-contact tonometer, TonoCare, that uses soft air puff technology, meaning it doesn’t require disposable pins.