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A Wireless Pressure Sensor for Continuous Monitoring of Intraocular Pressure in Conscious Animals

Annals of Biomedical Engineering volume 45, pages 2592–2604 (2017)Cite this article

Abstract

An important aspect of eye health in humans and animal models of human diseases is intraocular pressure (IOP). IOP is typically measured by hand with a tonometer, so data are sparse and sporadic and round-the-clock variations are not well characterized. Here we present a novel system for continuous wireless IOP and temperature measurement in small animals. The system consists of a cannula implanted in the anterior chamber of the eye connected to pressure sensing electronics that can be worn by rats or implanted in larger mammals. The system can record IOP with 0.3 mmHg accuracy and negligible drift at a rate of 0.25 Hz for 1–2 months on a regulated battery or indefinitely at rates up to 250 Hz via RF energy harvesting. Chronic recordings from conscious rats showed that IOP follows a diurnal rhythm, averaging 16.5 mmHg during the day and 21.7 mmHg at night, and that the IOP rhythm lags a diurnal rhythm in body temperature by 2.1 h. IOP and body temperature fluctuations were positively correlated from moment-to-moment as well. This technology allows researchers to monitor for the first time the precise IOP history of rat eyes, a popular model for glaucoma studies.

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Acknowledgments

The work was supported by NIH Grant R21 EY023376 and a Thomas R. Lee Award from BrightFocus Foundation. The authors thank Mr. Dan Capecci for assistance with wireless communication programs. The following intellectual interests are declared: U.S. Patents 9022968B2 and 9314375B1.

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Affiliations

  1. Department of Electrical Engineering, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, 33620, USA

    Simon A. Bello

  2. Department of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, University of South Florida, 4202 E Fowler Ave, Tampa, FL, 33620, USA

    Christopher L. Passaglia

  3. Department of Ophthalmology, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, 33620, USA

    Christopher L. Passaglia

Authors
  1. Simon A. Bello
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  2. Christopher L. Passaglia
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Correspondence to Christopher L. Passaglia.

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Associate Editor Tingrui Pan oversaw the review of this article.

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Bello, S.A., Passaglia, C.L. A Wireless Pressure Sensor for Continuous Monitoring of Intraocular Pressure in Conscious Animals. Ann Biomed Eng 45, 2592–2604 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10439-017-1896-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10439-017-1896-3

Keywords

  • Glaucoma
  • Rat
  • Eye
  • Telemetry
  • Wireless
  • Energy harvesting