THE JONES I-E TEST - COBALT BLUE ENDOSCOPIC PRIMARY DYE TEST OF LACRIMAL EXCRETORY FUNCTION

A cobalt blue filter adapter was constructed to fit between a rigid na sal endoscope and its halogen light source. Flooding the nasal cavity with the blue light illuminates the fluorescein-stained tears for more accurate examination of lacrimal function. We call our protocol the J ones I-E test and used this new technique to examine 99 nasolacrimal s ystems of epiphora patients over a 15-month period. The results of thi s study show a six-fold increase in the ability of the Jones I-E test to detect fluorescein dye within the nasal cavity over the conventiona l Jones I test.