Implant for determining intra-ocular pressure

• US 20040059248A1
• Filed: 07/15/2003
• Published: 03/25/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: HumanOptics AG
• Original Assignee: HumanOptics AG
• Inventors: Use, Tim, Messner, Arthur
• Application Number:
  US10/466,574
• Publication Number:
  US 20040059248A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/558
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/16 for measuring intraocular pressure, e.g. tonometers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0031 Implanted circuitry

Abstract

The invention relates to an implant for determining the pressure of the aqueous humour in an eye, comprising a support body with a pressure sensor unit (5; 5″) arranged thereon, said pressure sensor unit comprising a first pressure sensor element (14; 14″) for measuring the pressure of the aqueous humour and for producing first pressure sensor data, a data processing unit (23) which is arranged on the support body and connected to the pressure sensor unit (5; 5″) in such a way that data can be transferred in order to process the first pressure sensor data and to produce first transfer data, in addition to comprising a first transmitting and receiving element which is arranged on the support body and connected to the data processing unit (23) in such a way that data can be transferred in order to transmit first transfer data and receive second transfer data from a second transmitting and receiving device arranged outside the eye.

Claims

1. An implant for determining the pressure of the aqueous humour in an eye, comprising:

a. a supporting body,

b. a pressure sensor unit (5;

5″

) arranged on said supporting body and comprising a first pressure sensor element (15;

15″

) for measuring the pressure of the aqueous humour and for generating first pressure sensor data,

c. a data processing unit (23) arranged on said supporting body and connected to said pressure sensor unit (5;

5″

) in a data-transmitting manner for generating first transmission data, and

d. a transmitting and receiving unit arranged on said supporting body and connected to said data processing unit (23) in a data-transmitting manner for transmitting said first transmission data to and for receiving second transmission data from a second transmitting and receiving unit arranged outside the eye, characterized in that

e. said pressure sensor unit (5;

5″

) comprises a second pressure sensor element (14;

14″

) for measuring the ambient pressure and for generating second pressure sensor data.

4. An implant according to claim 1, characterised in that said supporting body comprises at least one hollow needle (2) having a first end (4) for receiving the aqueous humour and a second end connected to said pressure sensor unit (5).

7. An implant according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that said pressure sensor unit (5;

5″

) comprises a power store.(37).

9. An implant according to claim 1, characterised in that said central data processing unit (23) is designed so that it prompts storing of the interior pressure of the aqueous humour in predetermined time intervals Δ

t.

10. An implant according to claim 1, characterised in that said pressure sensor unit (5″

) is provided on a conducting film (59).

2. An implant according to claim 2, characterised in that said data processing unit is designed for processing said second pressure sensor data and for determining the overpressure of the aqueous humour compared with the environment.

3. An implant according to claim 2, characterised in that said pressure sensor elements (14, 15;

14″

, 15″

) comprise at least one micromechanical pressure sensor (20, 26;

20″

, 26″

).

6. An implant according to claim 2, characterised in that said first pressure sensor element (14) and/or said second pressure sensor element (15) is/are embedded in a plastic matrix (16).

5. An implant according to claim 5, characterised in that said pressure sensor unit (5) comprises a housing (6, 11) connected to the at least one hollow needle (2).

8. An implant according to claim 8, characterised in that said power store (37) can be supplied with power wirelessly from the outside.

11. An implant according to claim 11, characterised in that said conducting film (59) comprises a main portion (60) and a laterally and web-like projecting front ventricle portion (61).

12. An implant according to claim 12, characterised in that said first pressure sensor element (14″

) is arranged on said front ventricle portion (61).