Sub-cubic millimeter intraocular pressure monitoring implant to enable genetic studies on pressure-induced neurodegeneration

Abstract

There is often a strong correlation between elevated levels of intraocular pressure (IOP) and glaucoma; however, the underlying mechanisms that lead to blindness are not well understood. The key may lie in the study of genetic factors which determine IOP and lead to glaucoma-related blindness. Mice are typically used for genetic research due to their short generation time and accelerated lifespan, manageability, the availability of established and pure lines, and the ability to manipulate the genome. Post genetic manipulation, IOP monitoring at regular intervals is needed and for large scale testing, on the order of thousands of mice, it is crucial to have at least a partially automated data collection scheme. This work presents a fully wireless system on a chip that measures 300 µm in its widest dimension, has a wireless microwave-based data and power link, and is capable of relaying digitized pressure recordings to a nearby base-station.