Implantable devices and methods for measuring intraocular, subconjunctival or subdermal pressure and/or analyte concentration
First Claim
1. An intraocular pressure sensing system comprising:
- an implantable optical pressure sensor sized for implantation within the eye, said optical pressure sensor comprising an optical reflecting element which varies relative to changes in intraocular pressure and a window through which light will pass;
a light source useable to pass light through the cornea of the eye and through the window of the pressure sensor such that the light will strike the optical reflecting element;
a receiver/processor which receives light which has reflected from the optical reflecting element and processes such reflected light so as to obtain an indication of intraocular pressure.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Methods, apparatus and systems for measuring pressure and/or for quantitative or qualitative measurement of analytes within the eye or elsewhere in the body. Optical pressure sensors and/or optical analyte sensors are implanted in the body and light is cast from an extracorporeal light source, though the cornea, conjunctiva or dermis, and onto a reflective element located within each pressure sensor or analyte sensor. The position or configuration of each sensor'"'"'s reflective element varies with pressure or analyte concentration. Thus, the reflectance spectra of light reflected by the sensors'"'"' reflective elements will vary with changes in pressure or changes in analyte concentration. A spectrometer or other suitable instrument is used to process and analyze the reflectance spectra of the reflected light, thereby obtaining an indication of pressure or analyte concentration adjacent to the sensor(s). The wavelength of the interrogating beam of light may vary to control out potential interference or inaccuracies in the system.
192 Citations
68 Claims
-
1. An intraocular pressure sensing system comprising:
-
an implantable optical pressure sensor sized for implantation within the eye, said optical pressure sensor comprising an optical reflecting element which varies relative to changes in intraocular pressure and a window through which light will pass;
a light source useable to pass light through the cornea of the eye and through the window of the pressure sensor such that the light will strike the optical reflecting element;
a receiver/processor which receives light which has reflected from the optical reflecting element and processes such reflected light so as to obtain an indication of intraocular pressure. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
-
-
18. A method of determining intraocular pressure in a human or veterinary patient, said method comprising the steps of:
-
(A) implanting within the eye an optical pressure sensor that has an optical reflecting element that moves relative to changes in the intraocular pressure of the eye;
(B) using a light source to cast light into the eye such that the light strikes and is reflected by the optical reflecting element; and
,(C) using a receiver/processor to receive light which has reflected from the optical reflecting element and to process such reflected light so as to obtain an indication of intraocular pressure. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
-
-
38. A system for intraocular, subconjunctival or subdermal analyte determination, said system comprising:
-
an optical sensor sized for intraocular, subconjunctival or subdermal implantation, said sensor comprising an optical reflecting element which varies relative to changes in the amount or concentration of the analyte and a window through which light will pass;
a light source useable to pass light through the cornea, conjunctiva or skin such that the light will strike and be reflected by the optical reflecting element;
a receiver/processor which receives light that has reflected from the optical reflecting element and processes such reflected light to obtain a qualitative or quantitative determination of the analyte. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44)
-
-
45. A method of qualitative or quantitative determination of an analyte within the body of a human or veterinary patient, said method comprising the steps of:
-
(A) implanting an optical analyte sensor at an intraocular, subconjunctival or subdermal location within the patient'"'"'s body, said analyte sensor having an optical reflective element that varies in response to the presence of or changes in the concentration of the analyte;
(B) using a light source to cast light through the cornea, conjunctiva or skin of the patient such that the light will strike and be reflected by the optical reflecting element; and
,(C) using the receiver/processor to receive light which has reflected from the optical reflecting element and to process such reflected light so as to obtain a qualitative or quantitative determination of the analyte. - View Dependent Claims (46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68)
-
Specification