IMPLANTABLE MICRO-FLUIDIC DEVICE FOR MONITORING OF INTRA-OCULAR PRESSURE

摘要

Glaucoma is the second most common cause of blindness in the global world. It is a multifactorial disease with several risk factors, of which intraocular pressure (IOP) is the most important. IOP measurements are used for glaucoma diagnosis and patient monitoring. IOP has wide diurnal fluctuation, and is dependent on body posture, so the occasional measurements done by the eye care expert in clinic can be misleading. We provide an implantable sensor, based on microfluidic principles, which in one example has 1 mmHg limit of detection, high sensitivity and excellent reproducibility. This sensor has an optical interface, which enables IOP to be read with, for example, a cell phone camera. The design, fabrication, along with the option of self-monitoring are promising steps toward better patient care and treatment for this devastating disease.