Biocompatibility of a New Silicone Encapsulated Intraocular Pressure Sensor

Abstract

Abstract: : Purpose: To determine the biocompatibility of a new silicone-encapsulated micromachined telemetric pressure sensor in rabbit eyes. Methods: After phacoemulsification, 4 foldable pressure sensor IOLs (Fig.1) were implanted through a 6 mm corneal incision in 4 rabbit eyes. Slit-lamp biomicroscopy, electroretinograms (ERG) and visual evoked potentials (VEP) were performed before, 6 and 13 weeks after implantation into the posterior chamber. Telemetric measurements of IOP were taken by radiofrequency every second day for a 10-minutes-interval. One animal was sacrificed 8 months after implantation and histological examinations were compared to the fellow eye.  

Fig.1: The telemetric IOP sensor IOL Results: ERG and VEP measurements with the functional telemetric system in situ did not show any significant changes 6 and 13 weeks after implantation. Furthermore, the histological examination did not show any changes in the operated eye. Conclusion: The active encapsulated telemetric systems was well tolerated and harmless to the rabbit eye. There were no functional changes of the retina or optic nerve which is an important precondition for future use in humans.

Keywords: 444 intraocular pressure • 494 ocular irritancy/toxicity testing • 394 electrophysiology: non-clinical