Telemetric Microsensor for Glaucoma

 描述（由申请人提供）：青光眼是一种视神经疾病，其中存在视网膜神经节细胞的进行性丧失，导致不可逆的视力丧失。据估计，它会影响2%的总人口。超过230万美国人患有青光眼，估计直接医疗费用近30亿美元。据估计，4%的白人患者和8%的非洲裔美国人患者将因青光眼而失明。它是全球第二大致盲原因。高眼内压（IOP）是与青光眼相关的最大的单一风险因素，也是唯一可改变的风险因素。测量IOP并将其降低至降低视野丧失和神经退化进展的水平是青光眼的当前管理方法。典型的治疗包括在临床环境中使用自我给药滴眼液（如噻吗洛尔和拉坦前列素）的药物治疗进行IOP测量。在定期随访期间，评估IOP和眼睛健康，并根据需要调整药物，直到进一步进展停止或减少。可重复和准确的IOP测量是疾病管理的关键要素。Goldman压平眼压计（GAT）是测量IOP的标准。GAT最显著的局限性是它提供了间接IOP测量，并且仅在单个时刻测量IOP。然而，即使有这些局限性，GAT仍然是青光眼治疗中测量IOP的金标准。为了克服这一点，我们建议使用微型遥测压力传感器设备连续和直接测量IOP。因此，对于第一阶段项目，我们提出了以下具体目标：（1）展示具有0.5 mmHg精度的低剖面微压力传感器;以及（2）在柔性基板上建立用于无线遥测通信的微线圈设计。

 DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Glaucoma is an optic nerve disease in which there is progressive loss of retinal ganglion cells leading to irreversible loss of vision. It is estimated o affect 2% of the general population. More than 2.3 million Americans are affected with glaucoma and it is estimated to account for nearly $3B in direct medical costs. It is estimated that 4% of Caucasian patients and 8% of African-American patients will experience blindness due to glaucoma. It is the second leading cause of blindness worldwide. High intraocular pressure (IOP) is the single largest, as well as the only modifiable, risk factor associated with glaucoma. Measuring and reducing IOP to levels that reduce the progression of visual field loss and nerve degradation is the current management approach for glaucoma. Typical treatment consists of IOP measurement in a clinical setting with a drug therapy of self-administered eye drops such as timolol and latanoprost. During periodic follow-ups, IOP and eye health is assessed and medication is adjusted as necessary until further progression is stopped or reduced. Reproducible and accurate IOP measurements are a critically important element of disease management. Goldman Applanation Tonometry (GAT) is the standard for measuring IOP. The most significant limitations of GAT are that it provides an indirect IOP measurement and only measures IOP at a single moment in time. However, even with these limitations, GAT has remained the gold standard for measuring IOP in the management of glaucoma. To overcome this, we propose the use of a micro-miniature, telemetric pressure sensor device for measuring IOP continuously and directly. As such, for the Phase I project we propose the following Specific Aims: (1) Demonstrate a low-profile micro pressure sensor with 0.5 mmHg accuracy; and (2) Establish microcoil designs on flexible substrates for wireless telemetric communication.