What is the primary function of the digital corneal topographer?

The primary function of a digital corneal topographer is to measure the curvature of the cornea. This advanced instrument provides detailed mapping of the corneal surface, allowing practitioners to assess the corneal shape and its refractive characteristics. By capturing various data points across the entire cornea, the topographer generates a topographic map that can indicate irregularities, such as astigmatism or keratoconus, and helps in fitting contact lenses accurately.

This capability to measure the curvature of the cornea is critical for several applications, including the selection and fitting of contact lenses, planning for refractive surgeries, and monitoring corneal health over time.

While reading a contact lens prescription, measuring contact lens thickness, or measuring the diameter of a contact lens are important aspects of contact lens fitting and management, they do not pertain directly to the function of a corneal topographer. These tasks typically involve different instruments or components of the overall contact lens fitting process.