System and method for monitoring change of intraocular pressure and contact lens for sensing change of intraocular pressure

• US 9,254,085 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Issued: 02/09/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: National Taiwan University (Government of The Republic of China)
• Original Assignee: National Taiwan University (Government of The Republic of China)
• Inventors: Wang, Lon, Lin, Pin-Chung, Wang, I-Jong
• Primary Examiner(s): HINDENBURG, MAX F
• Application Number:
  US13/837,362
• Publication Number:
  US 20140163351A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,061 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/107 for determining the shape or measuring the curvature of the cornea
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/16 for measuring intraocular pressure, e.g. tonometers

Abstract

A system and a method for monitoring change of intraocular pressure and a contact lens for sensing change of intraocular pressure are provided. The contact lens includes a first material layer and a first pattern. The center of the first material layer has an optical region, and the optical region corresponds to a cornea region of an eyeball. The first pattern is formed on the optical region. Furthermore, the contact lens may further include a second material layer and a second pattern. The second material layer is located on the first material layer. The second pattern is formed on the second material layer and overlaps with the first pattern to form a moire pattern.

Claims

1. A contact lens for sensing change of intraocular pressure, comprising:

a first material layer, wherein the center of the first material layer has an optical region, and the optical region corresponds to a cornea area of an eyeball; and

a first pattern, formed on the optical region, the first pattern being formed of a plurality of sub-patterns arranged at intervals;

a second material layer, being on the first material layer; and

a second pattern, being on the second material layer and overlapping with the first pattern to form a moire pattern, wherein the second pattern is formed of a plurality of sub-patterns arranged at intervals.

2. The contact lens for sensing change of intraocular pressure according to claim 1, wherein the first material layer is a soft contact lens material.

3. The contact lens for sensing change of intraocular pressure according to claim 1, wherein the first material layer has a first surface for contacting an eyeball and a second surface opposite the first surface, and the sub-patterns are a plurality of grooves arranged at intervals on the second surface.

4. The contact lens for sensing change of intraocular pressure according to claim 1, wherein the second material layer is a rigid contact lens material.

5. The contact lens for sensing change of intraocular pressure according to claim 1, wherein the sub-patterns of the second pattern are a plurality of grooves arranged at intervals on a surface of the second material layer.

6. A system for monitoring change of intraocular pressure, comprising:

a contact lens comprising;

a first material layer, wherein the center of the first material layer has an optical region, and the optical region corresponds to a cornea area of an eyeball; and

a first pattern, formed on the optical region, the first pattern being formed of a plurality of sub-patterns arranged at intervals;

a second material layer, being on the first material layer; and

a second pattern, being on the second material layer and overlapping with the first pattern to form a moire pattern, wherein the second pattern is formed of a plurality of sub-patterns arranged at intervals; and

a detection device comprising;

an image capture unit, used for sequentially capturing images of the moire pattern according to a time interval; and

a processing unit, used for analyzing a period of the moire pattern in each image to evaluate intraocular pressure according to the period.

7. The system for monitoring change of intraocular pressure according to claim 6, wherein the detection device further comprises:

a carrier, used for a user to wear,

wherein the image capture unit and the processing unit are disposed on the carrier.

8. The system for monitoring change of intraocular pressure according to claim 6, wherein the second material layer is a rigid contact lens material.

9. The system for monitoring change of intraocular pressure according to claim 6, wherein the sub-patterns of the second pattern are a plurality of grooves arranged at intervals on a surface of the second material layer.

10. A method for monitoring change of intraocular pressure, comprising:

covering a surface of an eyeball with a contact lens having a first pattern, the first pattern being formed of a plurality of sub-patterns arranged at intervals;

sequentially capturing, according to a time interval, images of a moire pattern formed by a second pattern and the first pattern that overlap with each other, the second pattern being formed of a plurality of sub-patterns arranged at intervals; and

analyzing a current period of the moire pattern in each image to evaluate intraocular pressure according to the current period.

11. The method for monitoring change of intraocular pressure according to claim 10, wherein the first pattern is formed on a soft contact lens material of the contact lens.

12. The method for monitoring change of intraocular pressure according to claim 10, wherein the first pattern is a plurality of grooves arranged at intervals on a surface of the contact lens.

13. The method for monitoring change of intraocular pressure according to claim 10, further comprising:

projecting the second pattern on the contact lens.

14. The method for monitoring change of intraocular pressure according to claim 13, further comprising:

calculating period change data according to an initial period and each current period.

15. The method for monitoring change of intraocular pressure according to claim 10, wherein the first pattern and the second pattern are formed on two surfaces of the contact lens respectively.

16. The method for monitoring change of intraocular pressure according to claim 15, wherein the first pattern is formed on the soft contact lens material of the contact lens, and the second pattern is formed on a rigid contact lens material of the contact lens.

17. The method for monitoring change of intraocular pressure according to claim 15, wherein the sub-patterns of the first pattern and the sub-patterns of the second pattern are a plurality of grooves arranged at intervals on the two surfaces of the contact lens respectively.

18. The method for monitoring change of intraocular pressure according to claim 10, further comprising:

calculating period change data according to an initial period and each current period.