Final answer:
The question concerns the Imbert-Fick law and its application to intraocular pressure measurement by Goldmann's tonometer, which 'blew it' by not accounting for the complexities of the human eye.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student's question refers to the Imbert-Fick law, which is a principle related to the measurement of intraocular pressure (IOP) within the eye. The Imbert-Fick law states that pressure inside an ideal, thin-walled sphere is equal to the force needed to flatten its surface divided by the area of the flattening. Goldmann, with his applanation tonometer design, attempted to apply this law to measure IOP non-invasively. However, he made assumptions that did not hold true for the human eye, which is not an ideal, thin-walled sphere and has several complicating factors, such as corneal thickness and rigidity. The 'blow' refers to the discrepancies and limitations that arise when the Imbert-Fick law is applied to the complexities of the human eye, leading to potential errors in IOP measurement. In clinical practice, corrections are made to account for these factors, but the term 'Goldmann blew it' critically refers to the initial oversight of the properties of the human eye that are not accounted for by the Imbert-Fick law.