A pupillometer measures pupil reactivity and can be used in various applications, such as diagnosing diseases and evaluating those suspected of drug use. It is also used in physical exams for emergency workers and law enforcement. The device is noninvasive and can be used to study sleep disorders, although its interpretation can be subjective.
A pupillometer is a device that measures the reactivity of the pupils of the eyes. The pupillometer can be a large machine, connected to a wall, with a chair that allows you to sit down and do about 10 minutes of tests to evaluate the pupil’s reactivity to light. Portable pupillometers are often used in preliminary examinations of patients suspected of being under the influence of drugs or for those who have suffered a significant head injury.
The pupillometer is used in many different applications. Those being tested for Parkinson’s disease, rheumatoid arthritis, or lupus may show significant differences in pupil size or responsiveness. In these cases the pupillometer can be an important diagnostic tool capable of showing signs of such diseases. In other cases, the pupillometer might be used to evaluate eye tissue degeneration in people with severe diabetes.
Pupilometer exams are often conducted on those undergoing physical exams to become firefighters, emergency workers, or police officers. Pupil reactions can, of course, suggest narcotic use, especially when the pupil remains less reactive and small. The pupillometer can also suggest early symptoms of progressive joint or tissue disorders, which disqualify one for serving as an emergency or law enforcement operator.
Law enforcement officials and doctors often use hand-held pupillometers to evaluate those who are behaving as if they are under the influence. Because viewing the eye is noninvasive, it can be a useful and safe tool for evaluating someone who may have taken narcotics. When a narcotic overdose is suspected, doctors can then evaluate the pupils for signs of constriction and treat patients accordingly. This use of the pupillometer is safer than methods involving potential contact with bodily fluids, such as in urine and blood tests.
Perhaps one of the most interesting applications of the pupillometer is its use in studying people with sleep difficulties. Those who are exhausted or suffer from narcolepsy often have small, non-reactive in the dark pupils or overly reactive pupils. These studies are still in the preliminary stages, but may prove useful in determining whether treatments for sleep disorders are effective. In theory, those being treated for sleep disorders would gradually show more normal pupil reactions during pupillometer exams. Failure to improve would be a sign that the treatments weren’t effective.
A criticism of this current application is that pupil fluctuations are represented and interpreted and a graph can be subject to several interpretations. That makes this new study a little less scientifically sound, although the experiment could still be useful for addressing sleep disorders at a future date.
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