Implantable Devices and Methods for Measuring Intraocular, Subconjunctival or Subdermal Pressure and/or Analyte Concentration

Abstract

Methods, apparatus and systems for measuring pressure and/or for quantitative or qualitative measurement of analytes within the eye or elsewhere in the body. Optical pressure sensors and/or optical analyte sensors are implanted in the body and light is cast from an extracorporeal light source, though the cornea, conjunctiva or dermis, and onto a reflective element located within each pressure sensor or analyte sensor. The position or configuration of each sensor's reflective element varies with pressure or analyte concentration. Thus, the reflectance spectra of light reflected by the sensors' reflective elements will vary with changes in pressure or changes in analyte concentration. A spectrometer or other suitable instrument is used to process and analyze the reflectance spectra of the reflected light, thereby obtaining an indication of pressure or analyte concentration adjacent to the sensor(s). The wavelength of the interrogating beam of light may vary to control out potential interference or inaccuracies in the system.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An intraoccular pressure sensing system comprising:
 an inplantable optical pressure sensor sized for implantation within the eye, said optical pressure sensor comprising an optical reflecting element which varies relative to changes in intraoccular pressure and a window through which light will pass;   a light source useable to pass light through the cornea of the eye and through the window of the pressure sensor such that the light will strike the optical reflecting element;   a receiver/processor which receives light which has reflected from the optical reflecting element and processes such reflected light so as to obtain an indication of intraoccular pressure.   
     
     
         2 . A system according to  claim 1  wherein the implantable pressure sensor is attached to a support that holds the implantable pressure sensor in a substantially fixed position within the eye. 
     
     
         3 . A system according to  claim 2  wherein the support comprises a haptic. 
     
     
         4 . A system according to  claim 2  wherein the support comprises a haptic and and optic. 
     
     
         5 . A system according to  claim 4  wherein the sensor is mounted on the haptic. 
     
     
         6 . A system according to  claim 4  wherein the sensor is mounted on the optic. 
     
     
         7 . A system according to  claim 2  wherein the support is configured to hold the implantable pressure sensor substantially within the anterior chamber of the eye. 
     
     
         8 . A system according to  claim 2  wherein the support is configured to hold the implantable pressure sensor substantially within the posterior chamber of the eye. 
     
     
         9 . A system according to  claim 2  wherein the support comprises a shunt apparatus that may be implanted in the eye to decrease the intraocular pressure of that eye. 
     
     
         10 . A system according to  claim 2  wherein the support comprises a prosthetic lens that has been implanted in place of the patient's native ophthalmic lens. 
     
     
         11 . A system according to  claim 1  wherein the implantable pressure sensor is attached to a phakic intraocular lens. 
     
     
         12 . A system according to  claim 11  wherein the phakic intraocular lens is constructed to perform a vision correcting function as well as the function of holding the implantable pressure sensor in a substantially fixed position. 
     
     
         13 . A system according to  claim 2  wherein the support holds the implantable pressure sensor within the eye such that light may pass from the light source, through the cornea of the eye and onto the optical reflecting element. 
     
     
         14 . A system according to  claim 1  wherein the implantable optic pressure sensor comprises a Fabry-Perot interferometer pressure sensor. 
     
     
         15 . A system according to  claim 1  wherein the light source is a visible light source. 
     
     
         16 . A system according to  claim 1  wherein the light source is an LED light source. 
     
     
         17 . A system according to  claim 1  wherein the receiver/processor unit comprises a spectrometer.