Tufts student develops canine eye model for tonometry training
Bottom line
A Tufts veterinary student has developed a silicone-based canine eye model that lets learners practice measuring intraocular pressure, a core skill for identifying problems such as glaucoma and uveitis. Jakob Johnson, a V28 student at Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, built and tested 22 prototypes before landing on a hollow silicone shell filled with water and connected by tubing so pressure can be adjusted. Because no single silicone formulation performed well across all pressure ranges, he created two models: one for low-to-normal pressure and one for higher pressures. Tufts says the school’s ophthalmology faculty judged the model anatomically accurate and effective for tonometry training, and the model is slated for use in the Clinical Skills ophthalmology lab. Johnson’s project, advised by simulation lab director Dr. Michael Karlin, won first place in clinical and translational research at Cummings School’s September 11, 2026 Veterinary Research Day. (vet.tufts.edu)
Why it matters: For veterinary educators and clinicians, this is a practical example of how simulation is filling skill-training gaps before students touch live patients. Tufts’ simulation lab was built around that low-stakes, repeatable practice model, and ophthalmology has been one area where realistic training tools were still limited. Other schools have been building eye models for fundoscopy and basic ophthalmic training, including Kansas State’s 3D-printed species-specific eye globes, which points to broader momentum around replacing or reducing live-animal use for foundational skills while helping students build confidence and consistency with equipment such as rebound tonometers. (vet.tufts.edu)
What to watch: Watch for whether Tufts publishes formal validation data, expands the model to other ophthalmic procedures, or shares the design more broadly with other veterinary programs. (vet.tufts.edu)
A student-led project at Tufts University’s Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine could give veterinary learners a more realistic way to practice one of ophthalmology’s basic but important hands-on skills: measuring intraocular pressure. Jakob Johnson, a member of the class of 2028, developed a silicone-based canine eye model for TonoVet rebound tonometry, and Tufts says the model will be added to the school’s simulation-based Clinical Skills ophthalmology lab after being reviewed favorably by ophthalmology faculty. (vet.tufts.edu)
The development fits into a longer push in veterinary education toward simulation-first training. Tufts opened its Joseph Kelley, D.V.M. Simulation Laboratory in 2022 to give students repeated practice before working with live patients, particularly for learners who may arrive with uneven prior clinical experience. That same trend is visible elsewhere in veterinary ophthalmology: Kansas State, for example, announced 3D-printed eye globes in 2024 for direct and indirect fundoscopy training across multiple species, and published work has described silicone eye models and other simulation tools for teaching ophthalmic examination procedures while reducing reliance on live animals. (now.tufts.edu)
At Tufts, Johnson’s project appears to have started as a straightforward materials question: could silicone be used to create a realistic practice eye for intraocular pressure measurement? The answer, after 22 prototypes, was yes, but not in a single all-purpose design. According to Tufts, the first solid silicone model didn’t work, so Johnson shifted to a hollow silicone shell made by rotational casting, then filled it with water and connected it to tubing so pressure could be adjusted. He ultimately used two models, one covering low-to-normal pressure and another for higher-pressure ranges. He also built a more physiologically realistic skull with extraocular muscles and posterior access tubing so learners can change pressure settings without disrupting the setup. (vet.tufts.edu)
That design focus matters because rebound tonometry is technique-sensitive. Prior veterinary research has shown that TonoVet readings can be influenced by probe-to-cornea distance, underscoring why students need repeated, standardized practice before interpreting numbers clinically. Tufts’ report says ophthalmology faculty found Johnson’s model to be an accurate representation of the eye and said it performed well for measuring intraocular pressure, though the school has not yet published peer-reviewed validation data or detailed performance metrics from faculty testing. (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
Tufts also framed the project as more than a one-off student exercise. Johnson’s work won first place in the clinical and translational research category at the school’s 37th Annual Veterinary Research Day on September 11, 2026, and school leaders are already discussing broader uses for the model. In Tufts’ account, Johnson and advisor Michael Karlin said the platform may be adapted for additional ophthalmic training tasks, including nerve blocks, injections, retinal evaluation, or fluid sampling. (vet.tufts.edu)
Industry reaction appears to be indirect rather than formal so far, but the broader field is clearly moving in the same direction. Kansas State’s training-eye project is already being packaged for sale to other veterinary schools, suggesting at least some institutional appetite for ophthalmic simulation products that are portable, repeatable, and scalable. That doesn’t mean Tufts’ tonometry model is headed for commercialization, but it does suggest a growing market and educational need for specialized ophthalmic trainers, especially as programs look for alternatives to ad hoc handmade models or live-animal practice for early learners. This is an inference based on parallel activity in the sector, not a stated Tufts plan. (k-state.edu)
Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, the immediate value is educational, but the downstream effect is clinical. Tonometry is a routine skill in general practice, emergency medicine, and ophthalmology referral work, and poor technique can affect readings and, in turn, decision-making around painful, vision-threatening disease. A realistic model that lets students and residents practice hand position, equipment handling, and pressure-range recognition before working with live patients could improve confidence and reduce friction in clinics. It may also help standardize instruction across learners with very different baseline experience. (vet.tufts.edu)
What to watch: The next milestone will be whether Tufts publishes formal validation results, including agreement across target pressure ranges, learner outcomes, durability, and cost. It’ll also be worth watching whether the model stays an internal teaching tool or evolves into a shareable design for other veterinary schools, especially as ophthalmic simulation becomes a more active niche within veterinary skills training. (vet.tufts.edu)