Implantable Aqueous Humor Glucose Sensor
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for monitoring glucose levels in the aqueous humor of the eye are either invasive or unreliable, often requiring blood draws and facing challenges with accuracy due to high non-glucose constituents in blood and lower glucose levels in tears compared to aqueous humor.
Innovation Solution
An implantable device configured for surgical implantation in the eye to transmit aqueous humor to the exterior, where a contact lens with a sensor measures glucose concentration wirelessly, using an electrochemical sensor and potentially incorporating a ballast region and well for aqueous humor collection, allowing for non-invasive and accurate glucose monitoring.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If blood draws are used to monitor glucose levels, then glucose concentration can be measured, but the method becomes invasive and less reliable due to high non-glucose constituents in blood
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses aqueous humor as an intermediary fluid to indirectly measure blood glucose levels. The implantable device samples aqueous humor, which contains glucose that correlates with blood glucose levels, avoiding direct blood sampling while maintaining measurement accuracy through the relationship between aqueous humor glucose and blood glucose concentrations
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical/invasive blood draw system with an implantable device that continuously samples aqueous humor through a lumen. This substitution eliminates the need for repeated invasive procedures while providing continuous glucose monitoring through the less invasive aqueous humor pathway
2Ease of operation
If tear glucose monitoring is used, then non-invasive measurement is achieved, but accuracy decreases due to lower glucose levels in tears compared to aqueous humor
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the sampling location from tears to aqueous humor, utilizing the higher glucose concentration in aqueous humor that more closely correlates with blood glucose levels. This parameter change (sampling medium and location) maintains non-invasive external measurement while significantly improving measurement accuracy and reliability
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables accurate and reliable glucose monitoring by directly measuring glucose levels in aqueous humor, which correlates with blood glucose levels, reducing the need for invasive blood draws and providing a more reliable method than tear glucose monitoring.
Implementation Method 1
The contact lens includes a sensor coupled thereto. The sensor is responsive to the glucose concentration of aqueous humor transmitted through the lumen to the exterior of the eye
Data Source
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AI summary
A method for monitoring glucose concentration in aqueous humor can include inserting an implantable device into an eye and determining glucose concentration as a function of glucose sensed at the implantable device. The method can optionally include optically detecting glucose concentration as a function of polarimetry and/or fluorescence. A system for monitoring glucose concentration can include devices described herein.