Intraocular Pressure Sensor

• US 20100280349A1
• Filed: 05/04/2009
• Published: 11/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alcon Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Alcon Research Limited (Nestle SA)
• Inventors: Rickard, Matthew J. A., Dacquay, Bruno
• Granted Patent: US 8,182,435 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/398
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/16 for measuring intraocular pressure, e.g. tonometers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0031 Implanted circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6821 Eye

Abstract

An implantable intraocular pressure sensor system has a sealed geometric shape with an internal pressure at a first value. A strain gauge wire is embedded in a surface of the sealed geometric shape. When the surface is deflected by intraocular pressure, a measured resistance of the strain gauge wire indicates the intraocular pressure. The system also has a processor coupled to a power source and memory. The processor is configured to read the measured resistance and write values corresponding to intraocular pressure to the memory.

Claims

1. An implantable intraocular pressure sensor system comprising:

a sealed geometric shape with an internal pressure at a first value, the sealed geometric shape having a surface; and

a strain gauge wire embedded in the surface;

wherein when the surface is deflected a measured resistance of the strain gauge wire indicates an intraocular pressure condition.

2. The pressure sensor system of claim 1 further comprising:

a pair of lead wires, the pair of lead wires coupled to the strain gauge wire.

3. The pressure sensor system of claim 1 further comprising:

a processor;

a power source coupled to the processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor;

wherein the processor is configured to read the measured resistance.

4. The pressure sensor system of claim 3 wherein the processor writes values corresponding to intraocular pressure to the memory.

5. The pressure sensor system of claim 3 further comprising:

a data transmission module coupled to the processor.

6. The pressure sensor system of claim 5 wherein the data transmission module further comprises a radio.

7. The pressure sensor system of claim 5 wherein the data transmission module further comprises an RFID tag.

8. The pressure sensor system of claim 7 wherein data is transferred from the memory over an RFID link.

9. The pressure sensor system of claim 5 wherein the data transmission module transfers data from the memory to an external device.

10. The pressure sensor system of claim 3 further comprising:

a speaker coupled to the processor;

wherein the speaker sounds a warning when intraocular pressure is outside a safe range.

11. The pressure sensor system of claim 1 wherein the sealed geometric shape is generally cubic.

12. An implantable intraocular pressure sensor system comprising:

an IOP sensor comprising;

a sealed geometric shape with an internal pressure at a first value, the sealed geometric shape having a surface; and

a strain gauge wire embedded in the surface;

wherein when the surface is deflected by an intraocular pressure, a measured resistance of the strain gauge wire indicates the intraocular pressure;

a processor;

a power source coupled to the processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor;

wherein the processor is configured to read the measured resistance and write values corresponding to intraocular pressure to the memory.

13. The pressure sensor system of claim 12 further comprising:

a data transmission module coupled to the processor.

14. The pressure sensor system of claim 13 wherein the data transmission module further comprises a radio.

15. The pressure sensor system of claim 13 wherein the data transmission module further comprises an RFID tag.

16. The pressure sensor system of claim 15 wherein data is transferred from the memory over an RFID link.

17. The pressure sensor system of claim 13 wherein the data transmission module transfers data from the memory to an external device.

18. The pressure sensor system of claim 12 further comprising:

a speaker coupled to the processor;

wherein the speaker sounds a warning when intraocular pressure is outside a safe range.

19. The pressure sensor system of claim 12 wherein the sealed geometric shape is generally cubic.