Intraocular pressure sensor

• US 8,182,435 B2
• Filed: 05/04/2009
• Issued: 05/22/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alcon Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Alcon Research Limited (Nestle SA)
• Inventors: Dacquay, Bruno, Rickard, Matthew J. A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hindenburg, Max
• Assistant Examiner(s): DOUGHERTY, SEAN PATRICK
• Application Number:
  US12/434,709
• Publication Number:
  US 20100280349A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,114 Days
• Field of Search: 600/398, 600/591, 737/00, 737/08, 73715-717, 73719-721, 737/23, 73725-727
• US Class Current: 600/591
• 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;

a strain gauge wire embedded in the surface;

a processor electrically coupled to the strain gauge wire; and

a speaker coupled to the processor;

wherein when the surface is deflected a measured resistance of the strain gauge wire indicates an intraocular pressure, the processor is configured to read the measured resistance, the sealed geometric shape, the processor and the speaker are configured to be implanted into an anterior chamber of an eye, and the processor activates the speaker to sound a warning when the intraocular pressure is above a threshold pressure.

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 power source coupled to the processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor.

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 5 wherein the data transmission module transfers data from the memory to an external device.

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

16. The pressure sensor system of claim 1 wherein the warning is an indication to a patient to administer eye drops.

10. 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 electrically coupled to the strain gauge wire;

a speaker coupled to the 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, the sealed geometric shape, the processor, the speaker, the power source, and the memory are configured to be implanted into an anterior chamber of any eye, and the processor activates the speaker to sound a warning when the intraocular pressure is above a threshold pressure.

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

a data transmission module coupled to the processor.

12. The pressure sensor system of claim 11 wherein the data transmission module further comprises a radio.

13. The pressure sensor system of claim 11 wherein the data transmission module further comprises an RFID tag.

14. The pressure sensor system of claim 11 wherein the data transmission module transfers data from the memory to an external device.

15. The pressure sensor system of claim 10 wherein the sealed geometric shape is generally cubic.