Intraocular pressure measurement system including a sensor mounted in a contact lens

Abstract

An apparatus (180) for measuring intraocular pressure (IOP) comprises a contact lens (40) including an inner surface (42) contoured to a surface portion (34) of an eye (36) and a sensor (10) disposed in the contact lens. The sensor (10) comprises a contact surface (14) for making contact with the surface portion (34) of the eye (36). The contact surface (14) includes an outer non-compliant region (16) and an inner.compliant region (18) fabricated as an impedance element that varies in impedance as the inner compliant region changes shape. The sensor (10) further comprises a region of conductive material (38) electrically coupled to the impedance element of the compliant region (18) and responsive to an external signal for energizing the impedance element so that the IOP may be determined.

Description

RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of a co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09 / 642,573, entitled “SYSTEM FOR MEASURING INTRAOCULAR PRESSURE FOR AN EYE AND A MEM SENSOR FOR USE THEREWITH”, filed Aug. 21, 2000. The subject matter of the aforementioned co-pending application is incorporated herein by reference.FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0002] The present invention relates to a system for measuring intraocular pressure (IOP) in an eye, and is particularly directed to a system for measuring IOP that utilizes a sensor fabricated through microelectromechanical system (MEMS) technology and which is mounted in a contact lens. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0003] Glaucoma patientscand post-operative patients of eye surgery require regular monitoring of the IOP of their eyes in order to diagnose degenerative conditions which may lead to degraded sight and / or blindness without immediate medical treatment. Accordingly such patients must make frequent trips ...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

This becomes a nuisance to the patient after a time leading to patient resistance to compliance.

Therefore, if the pressure is normal at the time of the visit, but becomes high thereafter, the patient's actual risk of blindness may be misdiagnosed.

Also, if the pressure measured at the time of the office visit is high for reasons other than eye degeneration, the patient may be falsely diagnosed and be required to undergo therapy that may not be needed.

However, the device proposed is relatively large and bulky, about the size of an attache+ case, for example, and not conducive to convenient transport with the patient during normal daily routine in order to measure IOP.

Also, very crude attempts have been made to develop methods of non-invasively monitoring IOP using passive electronic circuitry and radiotelemetry disposed at the eye.

This device is clearly uncomfortable and bulky, minimizing expected patient compliance.

Also, the proposed approach requires the molding of a special contact for each individual eye, a practice which would make widespread use unattractive and expensive.

The magnetic and optical arrangements of this device requires special alignment and calibration techniques rendering it difficult for use as a self-tonometry device.

While the various foregoing described U.S. patent and papers propose various devices and instruments for tonometry, none appears to offer a viable inexpensive, convenient solution to the immediate problem of seif-tonometry.

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