24-hour IOP monitoring
A Swiss startup company, Sensimed, has developed a novel technology for measuring increases in intraocular pressure.
A novel technology for 24-hour IOP monitoring has been developed during which time the patient's movements are unrestricted. The system is designed to monitor intraocular pressure (IOP) continuously, up to 24 hours and comprises a soft hydrophilic silicone disposable contact lens embedding a MEMS sensor (micro electro-mechanical system) and a telemetry microprocessor.
Abnormal IOL is one of known causes of glaucoma. This behavior is individual, has transient peaks and varies significantly over a 24-hours period. The system, The Triggerfish, developed by a Swiss start-up company, SENSIMED, has received its CE mark and will undergo clinical trials during 2009 in key European centres. In the US it is under FDA review.
"With one of two glaucoma patients undiagnosed and one of three under inadequate treatment, we believe this will be a great contribution to help ophthalmologists diagnose and treat their glaucoma patients." said Jean-Marc Wismer, CEO of SENSIMED. "A better understanding of how pressure fluctuates during night and day in a patient suffering from glaucoma will lead, for the first time, to more efficient and personalized drug delivery. The breakthrough potential of the solution is enormous and confirmed by the eagerness of our key opinion leaders."
In addition to the medical device system, SENSIMED has developed a full, generic telemetry solution which can be adapted to interface various types of sensors for a variety of applications. The principle is to enable in situ measurement without physical connection or power supply on the sensing site. An external system will send RF (radio-frequency) power to the sensing site and receive in return measurement information.
