A Wireless Photonic Intraocular Pressure Sensor

Abstract

In this paper, we propose analytical and numerical experiments to investigate the feasibility of a wireless photonic sensor for measuring the intraocular pressure (IOP). The sensing element is a polymeric cavity embedded into a thin layer of biocompatible material integrated to a soft contact lens. The sensor concept is based on the morphology dependent resonance (MDR) phenomenon. Changes in the eye pressure perturb the micro-cavity morphology, leading to a shift in the optical modes. The IOP is measured by monitoring the shift of optical resonances. The sensor-light coupling is made through the evanescent field by using an optical prism. Therefore, the sensor can be powered and monitored wirelessly by using frustrated total internal reflection (FTIR) of a polymeric dielectric cavity. Usually, micro-optical cavities exhibit a very high quality factor Q; thus, sensors based on MDR phenomenon exhibit high resolution. Therefore, by recording tiny variations of IOP is possible to gain more knowledge about the start, comportment, and evolution of glaucoma disease.