Glaucoma is a serious disease, affecting millions of people worldwide requiring continuous monitoring of Intra
Ocular Pressure (IOP) to avoid the risk of blindness. Current laboratory measurements are infrequent, intrusive
and do not indicate the progression of the disease. The paper reports on the development of an implantable
Glaucoma monitoring system that can monitor IOP in the eye to indicate any elevation in risk to the patient. A
mathematical model of the anterior chamber of the eye was used
to analyze the complex fluid flow and pressure balance in the eye. This was done in order to determine the
performance requirements of the actuator, sensor and transmission electronics that could be integrated on a single
microchip using microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) technology, to carry out the testing internally. The
accuracy of the system was theoretically tested against results from external medical tests. The results were found
to be comparable.
Glaucoma is one of the leading causes of blindness affecting millions of people worldwide. Regular monitoring of intra ocular pressure (IOP) in the eyes is an important component in the treatment of this affliction. Current manual measurements do not give room for continuous indication of the progression of the disease. Microelectromechanical System (MEMS) technology lends itself to the development of devices capable of in-situ monitoring of the phenomenon that occur at the micro and nano scales, inside the human body. The paper reports on the complex flow and pressure relationships in the eye and the current methods of monitoring Glaucoma. The comparison highlights the requirements of an implantable miniature device that can indicate the changes leading to an increase of IOP inside the eye. An analysis of the pressures in the anterior chamber of the eye was undertaken to estimate the out put voltages that could be obtained from a micro structure implanted in the eye.
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