This study deals with the biomechanical properties of the cornea, which is essential in solving different problems of clinical ophthalmology, specifically in predicting the potential complications of keratorefraction operations, in early diagnosing keratoconus, and interpreting the measurements of intraocular pressure. The investigations confirmed the efficiency of using bidirectional applanation of the cornea to define its strength characteristics. A procedure has been also developed to estimate the elasticity coefficient which reflects the elastic properties of the cornea irrespective of intraocular pressure values.