Telemetric Microsensor for Glaucoma

 描述(申请人提供)：青光眼是一种视神经疾病，视网膜神经节细胞进行性丧失，导致不可逆转的视力丧失。据估计，它将影响2%的总人口。超过230万美国人患有青光眼，据估计，青光眼造成了近30亿美元的直接医疗成本。据估计，4%的高加索患者和8%的非裔美国患者将因青光眼而失明。它是全球第二大致盲原因。高眼压是青光眼的最大危险因素，也是唯一可改变的危险因素。测量眼压并将其降低到减少视野丧失和神经退化的程度是目前青光眼的治疗方法。典型的治疗包括在临床环境中测量眼压，并使用自身给药的眼药水，如噻吗洛尔和拉坦前列素。在定期的随访中，评估眼压和眼睛健康，并根据需要调整药物，直到进一步的进展停止或减少。可重复和准确的眼压测量是疾病管理的一个至关重要的因素。高曼压平眼压计(GAT)是测量眼压的标准。GAT最大的局限性是它提供了间接的眼压测量，并且只在一个时刻测量眼压。然而，即使有了这些限制，GAT仍然是青光眼治疗中测量眼压的黄金标准。为了克服这一点，我们建议使用一种微型遥测压力传感器设备来连续直接测量眼压。因此，对于第一阶段项目，我们提出了以下具体目标：(1)展示一种精度为0.5 mm Hg的低调微压传感器；(2)在柔性衬底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.