Influence of electromagnetic radiation emitted by daily-use electronic devices on the Eyemate^® system

Abstract

Purpose: Eyemate is a system for the continual monitoring of intraocular pressure (IOP), comprised of an intraocular sensor, and a hand-held reader device. The eyemate-IO sensor is surgically implanted in the eye during cataract surgery. Once implanted, the sensor communicates telemetrically with the hand-held device to activate and record IOP measurements. The aim of this study was to assess the possible influence of electromagnetic radiation emitted by daily-use electronic devices on the eyemate IOP measurements. Methods: The eyemate-IO sensor was placed in a plastic bag, immersed in a sterile sodium chloride solution at 0.9% and placed in a water bath at 37 C. The antenna, connected to a laptop for recording the data, was positioned at a fixed distance of 1 cm from the sensor. Approximately two hours of quasi-continuous measurements was recorded for the baseline and for cordless phone, smart-phone and laptop. Repeated measures ANOVA was used to compare any possible differences between the baseline and the tested devices. Results: For baseline measurements, the sensor maintained a steady-state. The same behavior was observed with the devices measurements during active and inactive states. Conclusion: We found no evidence of signal drifts or fluctuations associated with the tested devices, thus showing a lack of electromagnetic interference with data transmission. Patients who already have the eyemate-IO sensor implanted, or those considering it, can be informed that the electromagnetic radiation emitted by their daily-use electronic devices does not interfere with IOP measurements made by the eyemate-IO sensor.