Novel Microfluidic Contact Lens for ContinuousIntraocular Pressure Monitoring

Flexible micro-sensors have become an increasingly notable technology with wide benefits in the health care world with more emerging wearable devices. With improved material science and manufacturing methods novel methods of monitoring various medical conditions have become easier, cheaper and more accurate. This work looks into the ability to utilize flexible small scale wearable devices to create a novel contact lens that can monitor the internal eye pressure through microfluidics. Unlike the current large machines required to take eye pressure measurements in clinical environments, this wearable contact lens-based monitoring device allows for the patients to continuously monitor their eye pressure throughout the day. With utilization of microfluidics and flexible soft silicone-based material the deformation of the contact lens can accurately capture the deformation of the eye that occurs as a direct one to one relationship to the fluctuations in the eye pressure, while maintaining the non-invasive approach and is much less costly than current testing methods. The contact lens sensor consists of a microchannel with a coloured liquid and embedded in a piece of PDMS. In this work, a novel microfluidic PDMS sensor was explored as a potential solution for anatomical sensing, such as examining the intraocular pressure of the human eye. The flexible microfluidic sensor was first evaluated for its ability to deform with respect to strain in a planar form. From there further examination was conducted to determine its ability to be fabricated in a curved shape, to mimic current soft contact lens designs with similar overall thickness. Once a working microfluidic contact lens prototype was manufactured with the desired dimensions, examination of the sensors ability to accurately track the intraocular pressure on porcine eyes and cadaveric eyes. ; PhD