Microfabricated Implantable Parylene-Based Wireless Passive Intraocular Pressure Sensors

Abstract

This paper presents an implantable parylene-based wireless pressure sensor for biomedical pressure sensing applications specifically designed for continuous intraocular pressure (IOP) monitoring in glaucoma patients. It has an electrical LC tank resonant circuit formed by an integrated capacitor and an inductor coil to facilitate passive wireless sensing using an external interrogating coil connected to a readout unit. Two surface-micromachined sensor designs incorporating variable capacitor and variable capacitor/inductor resonant circuits have been implemented to realize the pressure-sensitive components. The sensor is monolithically microfabricated by exploiting parylene as a biocompatible structural material in a suitable form factor for minimally invasive intraocular implantation. Pressure responses of the microsensor have been characterized to demonstrate its high pressure sensitivity (> 7000 ppm/mmHg) in both sensor designs, which confirms the feasibility of pressure sensing with smaller than 1 mmHg of resolution for practical biomedical applications. A six-month animal study verifies the in vivo bioefficacy and biostability of the implant in the intraocular environment with no surgical or postoperative complications. Preliminary ex vivo experimental results verify the IOP sensing feasibility of such device. This sensor will ultimately be implanted at the pars plana or on the iris of the eye to fulfill continuous, convenient, direct, and faithful IOP monitoring.