Pressure sensing device having transducer overlying and deforming eye

• US 5,217,015 A
• Filed: 03/06/1992
• Issued: 06/08/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: David B. Kaye
• Original Assignee: Charles D. Melville, David B. Kaye
• Inventors: Melville, Charles D., Kaye, David B.
• Primary Examiner(s): SHAY, RANDY CITRIN
• Application Number:
  US07/847,362
• Time in Patent Office: 459 Days
• Field of Search: 128/645, 128/646, 128/652, 73/723, 73/727, 73/754, 73/DIG. 4
• US Class Current: 600/405
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/16 for measuring intraocular pressure, e.g. tonometers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0002 Remote monitoring of patients using telemetry, e.g. transmission of vital signals via a communication network A61B5/07 takes precedence; transmission systems for measured values G08C; transmission H04B; transmission of digital information H04L; wireless communication networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 11/004 by the use of counterbalancing forces measuring force by the use of counterbalancing forces G01L1/08
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 73/04 Piezoelectric

Abstract

A method for sensing pressure within a work object including placing an electrically deformable member on the work object so as to cover a portion of the surface area thereof; applying electrical energy to the member to cause the member to deform thereby applying pressure to the portion of the surface area of the work object; and sensing the tension in the member as a result of the amount of resistance to deformation imparted by the pressure within the work object.

An apparatus for sensing pressure within a work object including a member adapted to be disposed in overlaying relation to a portion of the surface area of the work object; an energizing system connected to the member for causing the member to deform so as to apply pressure to the surface area of the work object when disposed in overlaying relation to the work object to, in turn, cause the surface area of the work object to deform; and a detecting system operable to detect the magnitude of the deformation of the surface area of the work object as an indication of the pressure within the work object.

Claims

1. An apparatus for sensing pressure within a work object having a surface area, the apparatus comprising a transducer adapted to be disposed in overlaying relation to a portion of the surface area of said work object;

means connected to said transducer for causing the transducer to deform so as to apply pressure to the surface area of said work object when disposed in said overlaying relation thereto, in turn, to cause said surface area of the work object to deform; and

means for detecting the magnitude of the deformation of the surface area of the work object as an indication of the pressure within said work object.

2. An apparatus for sensing pressure within a work object having a surface area, the apparatus comprising a transducer, operable to deform upon the application of electrical energy thereto, adapted to be disposed in overlaying relation to a portion of the surface area of said work object;

a source of electrical energy connected in electrical energy supplying relation to said transducer and operable selectively to apply electrical energy to said transducer to cause the transducer to deform so as to apply pressure to the surface area of said work object when disposed in said overlaying relation thereto, in turn, to cause said surface area of the work object to deform; and

means for detecting the magnitude of the deformation of the surface area of the work object as an indication of the pressure within said work object.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said transducer has an electrically conductive area connected in electrical energy receiving relation to said source of electrical energy operable, upon the application of electrical energy thereto, to contract the transducer causing said deformation thereof.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said transducer has second and third electrically conductive areas electrically isolated from each other and from said first electrically conductive area and operable, upon said application of electrical energy to the first electrically conductive area, to create an electrical potential proportional to said deformation of the transducer as permitted by the deformation of said surface area of said work object.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said transducer is constructed of at least two layers of piezoelectric film containing said first, second and third electrically conductive areas.

6. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the first electrically conductive area is bounded by said second and third electrically conductive areas whereby said contraction of the transducer is substantially coincident with the first electrically conductive area causing tension in the transducer between the second and third electrically conductive areas to create said electrical potential.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 in which said work object is an eyeball having an intraocular pressure and a cornea and wherein the transducer is constructed of at least two layers of piezoelectric film containing said first, second and third electrically conductive areas as discrete, substantially transparent layers of metallization forming a contact lens adapted to be placed in overlaying relation on said cornea of the eyeball for measuring the intraocular pressure of the eyeball.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 in which the eyeball is bounded by eyelids and wherein said source of electrical energy is embodied in a wafer adapted to be disposed between the eyelid and eyeball.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said wafer houses, in addition to said source of electrical energy, a transmitter/receiver operable upon receiving a signal from a remote location to apply said electrical energy from the source of electrical energy to the first, second and third electrically conductive areas and upon the detecting of said electrical potential to transmit a signal representative of said electrical potential to a remote location.

10. An apparatus for sensing the intraocular pressure within the human eyeball having a cornea, the apparatus comprising:

A. a first transparent film having opposite inner and outer surfaces, a periphery and an outer substantially transparent layer of electrically conductive metallization extending over substantially the entire outer surface, the periphery and a portion of the inner surface;

B. a second transparent film having opposite inner and outer surfaces, a periphery and a central substantially transparent layer of electrically conductive metallization extending over a substantial portion of the inner surface in spaced relation to said periphery of the second film, an annular substantially transparent layer of electrically conductive metallization extending over the inner surface about said central layer in spaced relation to the periphery thereof and in spaced relation to the periphery of the second film and an outer substantially transparent layer of electrically conductive metallization extending over substantially the entire outer surface of the second film, the periphery and a portion of the inner surface about said annular layer and in spaced relation thereto;

C. a substantially transparent adhesive bonding said inner surface of the first film in overlaying relation on said inner surface of the second film with said outer layer of metallization of the first film in electrically conductive relation to said outer layer of metallization of the second film and electrically isolated from said central and annular layers of metallization of the second film whereby the central layer of metallization is a first electrically conductive zone, the annular layer is a second electrically conductive zone and the outer layers of metallization of the first and second films compose a third electrically conductive zone;

D. a source of electrical energy individually connected to said first and third electrically conductive zones;

E. means for selectively applying electrical energy from said source of electrical energy to the first and third electrically conductive zones so that said first electrically conductive zone causes the first and second films to contract whereby when said apparatus is disposed in overlaying relation on the cornea of the eyeball pressure is applied to the cornea against said intraocular pressure within said eyeball and creating tension in the first and second films about the first electrically conductive zone and between said second and third electrically conductive zones to create an electrical potential therebetween proportional to the intraocular pressure within said eyeball; and

F. means for detecting said electrical potential between the second and third electrically conductive zones as in index of the intraocular pressure within the eyeball.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 in which the eyeball is bounded by an eyelid and wherein said source of electrical energy is a battery housed in a wafer and individually connected to the first and third electrically conductive zones by fine electrical conductors and said wafer is adapted to be disposed between said eyelid and the eyeball when said apparatus is disposed in overlaying relation on the cornea of the eyeball.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said applying means includes a receiver mounted in said wafer and operable, upon receipt of a signal from a remote location, to cause electrical energy to pass from the battery along said electrical conductors to the first and third electrically conductive zones.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said detecting means includes a transmitter mounted in said wafer and operable to detect said electrical potential between the second and third electrically conductive zones and to transmit a signal to a remote location representative of said electrical potential.

14. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the first and second films and the first, second and third electrically conductive zones are sealed in a substantially transparent electrically insulating layer to preclude electrical shock.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the electrically insulating layer, the first and second films and the first, second and third electrically conductive zones are sealed in a substantially transparent hydrophilic layer for lubrication to insure releasable adhesion to the cornea.