It is well-understood that the intraocular pressure (IOP) of the eye and biomechanical properties of ocular tissues (e.g. cornea, sclera, and retina) are intertwined. Therefore, it is difficult to ascertain whether abnormal measurements of either are due to a pathological IOP or inherent tissue biomechanical properties. This invention, termed Applanation Optical Coherence Elastography (AOCE), utilizes optical coherence tomography (OCT) to image air-puff induced deformations in ocular tissues to characterize their stiffness as well as the IOP of the eye-globe. One part of the invention will utilize the OCT system as an applanation tonometer. A large air-puff will induce a deformation in the ocular tissue, causing it to deform inwards. The entire dynamic deformation will be imaged with micrometer-scale spatial resolution and microsecond-scale temporal resolution. On the inwards and outwards processes, there will be a point at which the cornea is flat, or applanated. By measuring the temporal pressure profile of the air-puff, we can then correlate the applanation times with an air puff pressure. We can then estimate the IOP under the simple assumption that the forces on the anterior surface of the cornea (air-puff) and posterior surface of the cornea (IOP) are equal when the cornea is applanated. To measure the stiffness of the cornea, a focused micro air-pulse will induce a low amplitude displacement (micrometer-scale) in the cornea that will then propagate as an elastic wave. The phase-resolved measurements will then provide the spatio-temporal profiles of the elastic wave or temporal profile of the air-pulse induced displacement. These two parameters will then be used for further quantification of the wave and displacement characteristics (e.g. velocity, dispersion, relaxation rate, natural frequency, etc.) and subsequent ocular tissue stiffness. Spectral analysis of the elastic wave and model-based viscoelasticity reconstruction will then provide depth-resolved elasticity characterization. Using this device, the health care provider will then know the IOP of the eye-globe and the stiffness of the ocular tissue of interest (e.g. cornea, sclera, or retina).