A first-in-human pilot study of a novel electrically-passive metamaterial-inspired resonator-based ocular sensor embedded contact lens monitoring intraocular pressure fluctuations

Glaucoma is a leading cause of blindness with no cure, but early treatment and effective monitoring can often slow the progression of the disease. Monitoring of glaucoma is based on the measurement of intra-ocular pressure (IOP) that is a physiological parameter related to the mechanical state and parameters of the eye. Conventionally, diagnosing and assessing the progression of glaucoma is based on the method of measuring IOP discretely at clinics. Recent studies have demonstrated the importance of continuously monitoring IOP for 24 h to elucidate the effect of circadian rhythm. In this work, a metamaterial-inspired electrically-passive sensor-embedded contact lens is presented to monitor the IOP fluctuations based on a first-in-human pilot study. The sensor inside the contact lens is an electrically passive, metamaterial-based resonator that can be measured using a wearable antenna patch. The system has been tested with six healthy volunteers during an experiment to induce deliberate IOP changes via water-loading and placing the individuals in supine position using a recliner seat. The initial data compared with tonometer measurements suggest that the system can be used to assess the variation of IOP continuously.

A novel fixed-combination timolol-netarsudil-latanoprost ophthalmic solution for the treatment of glaucoma and ocular hypertension

Currently commercial fixed-concomitant three agents have multiple problems such as multiple dosing administration, poor efficacy and side effects. Once-daily fixed-combination timolol-netarsudil-latanoprost ophthalmic solution (FC-TNL) has the ability to treat glaucoma by lowering the intraocular pressure (IOP) with great efficacy and improving patient compliance. However, the commercialized netarsudil dimesylate precipitated when the pH of the solution was above 5.4, or when maleic acid, the salt of commercial timolol maleate, was mixed with netarsudil dimesylate. Consequently, the homologous salt engineering strategy was used to make netarsudil dimesylate soluble in pH 4.8-5.2 solution by synthesizing timolol mesylate. Next, the morphology of timolol mesylate was observed by scanning electron microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis, and powder X-ray diffraction. The prepared FC-TNL showed good stability during refrigeration storage. Additionally, FC-TNL exerted no influence on the intraocular penetration of each active compounds in the pharmacokinetic study. Importantly, once-daily FC-TNL exerted potent IOP-lowering effect and protective effect on retinal ganglion cells. The FC-TNL was stable, safe and effective, being a promising glaucoma therapeutic.

Impact of intraocular pressure fluctuations on progression of normal tension glaucoma

AIM

To investigate short- and long-term intraocular pressure (IOP) fluctuations and further ocular and demographic parameters as predictors for normal tension glaucoma (NTG) progression.

METHODS

This retrospective, longitudinal cohort study included 137 eyes of 75 patients with NTG, defined by glaucomatous optic disc or visual field defect with normal IOP (<21 mm Hg), independently from therapy regimen. IOP fluctuation, mean, and maximum were inspected with a mean follow-up of 38mo [standard deviation (SD) 18mo]. Inclusion criteria were the performance of minimum two 48-hour profiles including perimetry, Heidelberg retina tomograph (HRT) imaging, and optic disc photographs. The impact of IOP parameters, myopia, sex, cup-to-disc-ratio, and visual field results on progression of NTG were analyzed using Cox regression models. A sub-group analysis with results from optical coherence tomography (OCT) was performed.

RESULTS

IOP fluctuations, average, and maximum were not risk factors for progression in NTG patients, although maximum IOP at the initial IOP profile was higher in eyes with progression than in eyes without progression (P=0.054). The 46/137 (33.5%) eyes progressed over the follow-up period. Overall progression (at least three progression confirmations) occurred in 28/137 eyes (20.4%). Most progressions were detected by perimetry (36/46). Long-term IOP mean over all pressure profiles was 12.8 mm Hg (SD 1.3 mm Hg); IOP fluctuation was 1.4 mm Hg (SD 0.8 mm Hg). The progression-free five-year rate was 58.2% (SD 6.5%).

CONCLUSION

Short- and long-term IOP fluctuations do not result in progression of NTG. As functional changes are most likely to happen, NTG should be monitored with visual field testing more often than with other devices.

Ophthalmic Sensors and Drug Delivery

Advances in multifunctional materials and technologies have allowed contact lenses to serve as wearable devices for continuous monitoring of physiological parameters and delivering drugs for ocular diseases. Since the tear fluids comprise a library of biomarkers, direct measurement of different parameters such as concentration of glucose, urea, proteins, nitrite, and chloride ions, intraocular pressure (IOP), corneal temperature, and pH can be carried out non-invasively using contact lens sensors. Microfluidic contact lens sensor based colorimetric sensing and liquid control mechanisms enable the wearers to perform self-examinations at home using smartphones. Furthermore, drug-laden contact lenses have emerged as delivery platforms using a low dosage of drugs with extended residence time and increased ocular bioavailability. This review provides an overview of contact lenses for ocular diagnostics and drug delivery applications. The designs, working principles, and sensing mechanisms of sensors and drug delivery systems are reviewed. The potential applications of contact lenses in point-of-care diagnostics and personalized medicine, along with the significance of integrating multiplexed sensing units together with drug delivery systems, have also been discussed.

Intereye Symmetry of 24-Hour Intraocular Pressure-related Patterns in Untreated Glaucoma Patients Using a Contact Lens Sensor

PURPOSE

Scarce data are available on the symmetry of 24-hour intraocular pressure (IOP) variations between fellow eyes of glaucoma patients, and such evidence could have profound consequences on the interpretation of monocular therapeutic trials. The objective is to evaluate the intereye correlation of continuously measured circadian IOP-related patterns in untreated glaucoma patients.

METHODS

In this single-center prospective study, a total of 29 untreated patients with open-angle glaucoma underwent bilateral ambulatory 24-hour monitoring of IOP-related patterns using a contact lens sensor (CLS; SENSIMED Triggerfish). IOP was measured before and after CLS monitoring using Goldmann applanation tonometry. Intereye agreement of 24-hour patterns was calculated using Spearman correlation (r) of raw data and after cosinor rhythmometry modeling.

RESULTS

Complete bilateral CLS data could be obtained in 20 patients (mean age: 55.5±15.7 y; 51.7% women). On average, intereye correlation was r=0.76±0.19 (range: 0.16 to 0.95) and r=0.77±0.15 (range: 0.49 to 0.91), after excluding 8 patients with lower quality recordings. Cosine rhythmometry modeling showed mean acrophases occurring at 4:21±2:20 AM in left eyes and 3:39±1:50 AM in right eyes (r=0.48; P=0.034). Mean acrophase amplitude was 110.9±51.9 for left eyes and 107.8±46.2 for right eyes (r=0.79; P<0.001). No serious adverse events related to CLS monitoring were recorded. Transient conjunctival hyperemia (13 patients) and blurred vision (11 patients) were the most frequent adverse events.

CONCLUSIONS

In this group of untreated glaucoma patients, there was good intereye agreement for circadian IOP-related patterns using the CLS. These results show a higher degree of intereye symmetry, in terms of IOP peak timings and amplitudes, than previously reported with standard tonometry.

Twenty-Four-Hour Contact Lens Sensor Monitoring of Aqueous Humor Dynamics in Surgically or Medically Treated Glaucoma Patients

Aim

This study assessed the 24 h circadian rhythm of intraocular pressure (IOP) using a contact lens sensor in three groups of patients with open-angle glaucoma.

Methods

This study was a monocentric, cross-sectional, nonrandomized, prospective, pilot study. Eighty-nine patients were enrolled: 29 patients previously underwent an Ex-PRESS mini glaucoma device procedure (Group 1), 28 patients previously underwent Hydrus microstent implantation (Group 2), and 32 patients were currently being treated medically for primary open-angle glaucoma (Group 3). Circadian rhythm patterns were considered with five circadian indicators: fluctuation ranges, maximum, minimum, acrophase (time of peak value), and bathyphase (time of trough value). A two-tailed Mann–Whitney U-test was used to evaluate differences between groups.

Results

All subjects exhibited a circadian rhythm and a nocturnal pattern. The signal fluctuation range was significantly smaller in the surgical groups than in the medically treated group (Group 1 vs. Group 3, p=0.003; Group 2 vs. Group 3, p=0.010). Subjects who underwent the Ex-PRESS procedure (Group 1) exhibited significant differences compared with the drug therapy group (Group 3) with regard to the minimum value (p=0.015), acrophase (p=0.009), and bathyphase (p=0.002). The other circadian indicators were not significantly different among groups.

Conclusions

Patients who underwent IOP-lowering surgery had an intrinsic nyctohemeral rhythm. Both surgical procedures, Ex-PRESS and Hydrus, were associated with smaller signal fluctuations compared with medical treatment.

Contact lens wear and the diabetic corneal epithelium: A happy or disastrous marriage?

Diabetes mellitus is an epidemic in the US and abroad. With the advent of new contact lens technology, the use of contact lenses as glucose sensors in lieu of the traditional finger stick is quickly becoming realized. This has the potential to rapidly expand the contact lens market into this growing patient population. The independent cellular and physiological effects of contact lens wear and diabetes on the corneal epithelium have been described. However, little evidence exists to date to support whether there is increased risk associated with contact lens wear in diabetes. The focus of this review is to discuss what is known about the cellular effects of contact lenses on the corneal epithelium, the pathophysiological changes in the corneal epithelium that occur in diabetes, and whether an increased risk for corneal epithelial damage and/or infection may negatively impact safety in diabetic contact lens wearers. Available data indicates that there are inherent risks associated with contact lens wear in diabetics. Importantly, eye care practitioners fitting contact lenses in the diabetic patient need to carefully consider the duration of disease, the level of glycemic control, the presence of retinopathy, and the patient's overall health.

Implantation and testing of a novel episcleral pressure transducer: A new approach to telemetric intraocular pressure monitoring

Measurement of intraocular pressure (IOP) is an essential tool in monitoring glaucoma. Single IOP assessments during clinical routine examinations represent punctual values and are not able to identify IOP fluctuations and spikes. Telemetric IOP measurements are able to monitor IOP during the day and night, and are location-independent. Six telemetric episcleral IOP sensors were investigated after minimally invasive subconjunctival implantation in 6 eyes of 6 New-Zealand-White rabbits. Three of the 4 edges of the implant were fixated intrasclerally with non-absorbable sutures. The sutures were stitched into the edges of the implants' silicone rubber encasements. Telemetric IOP measurements were validated 1 week, 4 weeks, 8 weeks, 12 weeks and 30 weeks after implantation. For each validation the anterior chamber was cannulated and connected to a height-adjustable water column. Different intracameral pressure levels (10-45 mmHg) were generated by height adjustment of the water column. Measurement reliability and concordance between telemetric and intracameral IOP was validated using Bland-Altman analysis. Overall comparison (10-45 mmHg) between telemetric and intracameral pressure revealed a standard deviation of ±1.0 mmHg. A comparison of pressure values in the range between 10 and 30 mmHg revealed a standard deviation of ±0.8 mmHg. Device deficiency was related to follow-up length: 4 weeks after implantation, 3 of the 6 sensors showed malfunction, with all sensors having failed 30 weeks after implantation. The most likely reason for the sensor malfunction is the loss of hermeticity as a result of penetration of the encasement during the episcleral fixation, resulting from the lack of preformed suture holes at the implants encasement. However, no clinical signs of injury or inflammation of the conjunctiva, sclera, implantation site or any other involved structures were observed, except for an expected mild short-term irritation postoperatively. The episcleral pressure transducer for telemetric IOP monitoring is able to assess IOP without the need for invasive intraocular surgery. Episcleral implantation is an easy and safe procedure and can be undone very easily, so even temporary implantation and IOP measurements could be possible in the future. Sensor malfunction over time is a problem that needs to be addressed. Improvements in sensor encapsulation and especially preformed suture holes could significantly decrease the failure rate and increase durability.

Efficacy of the SENSIMED Triggerfish® in the postoperative follow-up of PHACO-ExPRESS combined surgery

OBJECTIVE

To determine the usefulness of the SENSIMED Triggerfish^® system in the postoperative control of combined phacoemulsification and ExPRESS implant (PHACO-ExPRESS) surgery in patients with cataract and chronic open angle glaucoma (COAG) during a 2 months follow-up.

METHODS

A prospective study conducted on 15 eyes that were subjected to PHACO-ExPRESS combined surgery. Using the SENSIMED Triggerfish^® system, two records of the circadian patterns of intraocular pressure (IOP) were performed, one before and one after surgery. A record was made of the best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), comorbidities, previous IOP, and 7-30-60 days after surgery, as well as any hypotensive drugs and complications.

RESULTS

The final sample was 12 eyes. The mean pre-operative BCVA (log MAR chart) before surgery was 0.5±0.2, and after surgery 0.14±0.1 (P=.02). The previous IOP was 18.7±3.8mmHg with 2.9±0.7 drugs. The mean IOP at 7, 30, and 60 days after surgery decreased to 13±4.1mmHg (P=.002), 13.5±2mmHg (P=.001), and 13.9±2.5mmHg (P=.001), respectively. The amplitudes of the circadian curves changed significantly after surgery (P=.007). The mean values between daytime and night-time periods decreased significantly from 146.8±80.9 mVeq and 61.2±92.mVeq before surgery to 36.4±36 mVeq (P=.000), and -23,2±47.6mVeq (P=.014) after surgery, respectively. There were complications in one patient.

CONCLUSIONS

The SENSIMED Triggerfish^® monitoring system showed changes in the curves of the circadian patterns, as well as decreased mean amplitudes after the combined PHACO-ExPRESS technique, suggesting that it may become a useful tool for postoperative follow-up of COAG.

24-h monitoring devices and nyctohemeral rhythms of intraocular pressure

Intraocular pressure (IOP) is not a fixed value and varies over both the short term and periods lasting several months or years. In particular, IOP is known to vary throughout the 24-h period of a day, defined as a nyctohemeral rhythm in humans. In clinical practice, it is crucial to evaluate the changes in IOP over 24 h in several situations, including the diagnosis of ocular hypertension and glaucoma (IOP is often higher at night) and to optimize the therapeutic management of glaucoma. Until recently, all evaluations of 24-h IOP rhythm were performed using repeated IOP measurements, requiring individuals to be awakened for nocturnal measurements. This method may be imperfect, because it is not physiologic and disturbs the sleep architecture, and also because it provides a limited number of time point measurements not sufficient to finely asses IOP changes. These limitations may have biased previous descriptions of physiological IOP rhythm. Recently, extraocular and intraocular devices integrating a pressure sensor for continuous IOP monitoring have been developed and are available for use in humans. The objective of this article is to present the contributions of these new 24-h monitoring devices for the study of the nyctohemeral rhythms. In healthy subjects and untreated glaucoma subjects, a nyctohemeral rhythm is consistently found and frequently characterized by a mean diurnal IOP lower than the mean nocturnal IOP, with a diurnal bathyphase - usually in the middle or at the end of the afternoon - and a nocturnal acrophase, usually in the middle or at the end of the night.

Systematic Review of Current Devices for 24-h Intraocular Pressure Monitoring

Glaucoma is a common optic neuropathy that can lead to irreversible vision loss, and intraocular pressure (IOP) is the only known modifiable risk factor. The primary method of treating glaucoma involves lowering IOP using medications, laser and/or invasive surgery. Currently, we rely on in-office measurements of IOP to assess diurnal variation and to define successful management of disease. These measurements only convey a fraction of a patient's circadian IOP pattern and may frequently miss peak IOP levels. There is an unmet need for a reliable and accurate device for 24-h IOP monitoring. The 24-h IOP monitoring devices that are currently available and in development fall into three main categories: self-monitoring, temporary continuous monitoring, and permanent continuous monitoring. This article is a systematic review of current and future technologies for measuring IOP over a 24-h period.

Expert Views on Innovative Future Uses for Contact Lenses

Over the past 10 to 15 years, the availability of new materials and technologies has resulted in revolutionary concepts for contact lenses being proposed that go well beyond correcting vision. These novel uses include their prescribing to deliver topical ocular and systemic drugs, assist with ocular surface disease management, and limit the progression of myopia and novel methods to display visual information. How likely are these concepts to become commercially available, how successful will they be, and what are the potential issues to consider for them to come to market? To answer these questions, a panel of four experts were invited to discuss the benefits and pitfalls of these technologies and what challenges lay ahead of these concepts before their availability. Their responses provide a fascinating insight for the clinician into the likelihood of such revolutionary contact lenses being available in a clinical setting.

Efficacy of a contact lens sensor for monitoring 24-h intraocular pressure related patterns

Purpose

To study performance of a contact lens sensor (CLS) for 24-hour monitoring of IOP-related short-term patterns and compare with IOP obtained by pneumatonometry.

Methods

Prospective clinical trial. Thirty-one healthy volunteers and 2 glaucoma patients were housed for 24 hours in a sleep laboratory. One randomly selected eye was fitted with a CLS (Triggerfish, Sensimed, Switzerland), which measures changes in ocular circumference. In the contralateral eye, IOP measurements were taken using a pneumatonometer every two hours with subjects in the habitual body positions. Heart rate (HR) was measured 3 times during the night for periods of 6 minutes separated by 2 hours. Performance of CLS was defined in two ways: 1) recording the known pattern of IOP increase going from awake (sitting position) to sleep (recumbent), defined as the wake/sleep (W/S) slope and 2) accuracy of the ocular pulse frequency (OPF) concurrent to that of the HR interval. Strength of association between overall CLS and pneumatonometer curves was assessed using coefficients of determination (R²).

Results

The W/S slope was statistically significantly positive in both eyes of each subject (CLS, 57.0 ± 40.5 mVeq/h, p<0.001 and 1.6 ± 0.9 mmHg/h, p<0.05 in the contralateral eye). In all, 87 CLS plots concurrent to the HR interval were evaluated. Graders agreed on evaluability for OPF in 83.9% of CLS plots. Accuracy of the CLS to detect the OPF was 86.5%. Coefficient of correlation between CLS and pneumatonometer for the mean 24-h curve was R² = 0.914.

Conclusions

CLS measurements compare well to the pneumatonometer and may be of practical use for detection of sleep-induced IOP changes. The CLS also is able to detect ocular pulsations with good accuracy in a majority of eyes.

Trial Registration

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01390779

Ambulatory 24-h intraocular pressure monitoring in the management of glaucoma

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

To review current status and future of ambulatory 24-h intraocular pressure monitoring. Despite important advances in the diagnosis and management of glaucoma during the last decade, the fundamental understanding of intraocular pressure, its only modifiable risk factor, remains elusive. The current practice of single intraocular pressure measurements during a clinic visit does not adequately reflect the variability of intraocular pressure throughout the 24-h day.

RECENT FINDINGS

There has been considerable progress recently with the prototype and commercial introduction of continuous 24-h intraocular pressure monitoring devices. Implantable intraocular pressure sensors have the advantage to directly measure intraocular pressure over many months and years, whereas temporary (contact lens based) approaches provide a noninvasive alternative for repeated 24-h periods. This review provides an overview of implantable devices as well as a critical assessment of a 24-h contact lens sensor.

SUMMARY

Recent advances in microelectromechanical systems and nanoelectromechanical systems have enabled the development of 24-h intraocular pressure monitoring devices. Once these technologies have shown their safety and efficacy, larger questions as to the data interpretation and handling will arise. It is likely that the use of 24-h intraocular pressure monitoring will herald fundamental changes in our understanding and management of glaucoma.

Effect of overnight wear of the Triggerfish(®) sensor on corneal thickness measured by Visante(®) anterior segment optical coherence tomography

PURPOSE

To evaluate the effect of overnight wear of the Triggerfish(®) contact lens sensor (CLS) on central corneal thickness (CCT) using the Visante(®) anterior segment optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT).

METHODS

Twelve healthy subjects were studied in a sleep laboratory. An ophthalmic examination including ultrasonic CCT, corneal topography, specular microscopy and AS-OCT CCT was performed. Starting at 7 pm, the Triggerfish(®) CLS was fitted on one randomly selected eye. Similar AS-OCT measurements were taken on both eyes every 2 hr from 8 pm to 8 am. The CLS was removed just after the 8 am measurement session. Measurements were repeated at 9 am.

RESULTS

Twenty-four eyes of 12 subjects were studied (mean age, 22.1 ± 2.4 years; four men/eight women). CCT significantly increased during the night in both CLS and control eyes (p < 0.01). The maximal change was +4.4 ± 1.7% in the CLS eyes and +2.9 ± 1.8% in the control eyes (p < 0.05). Throughout the night, CCT significantly increased more in eyes with CLS than in control eyes (p < 0.05). There were significantly more corneal curvature irregularities after overnight wear of the CLS than in the control eye: +1.63 Dioptre (D) versus -0.02 D in the 3-mm central zone and +3.17 D versus +0.01 D in the 5-mm central zone (p < 0.01).

CONCLUSION

CCT and corneal curvature irregularities increased slightly but significantly more in eyes with the Triggerfish(®) CLS than in control eyes during overnight wear. Further studies are required to determine whether the corneal curvature changes modify the signal recorded by the sensor.

Is 24-hour intraocular pressure monitoring necessary in glaucoma?

Although intraocular pressure (IOP) is the only treatable risk factor for glaucoma, its 24-hour behavior is poorly understood. Conflicting information is available in the literature with regard to the importance and predictive value of IOP peaks and fluctuations on the risk of glaucoma development and progression. This may be secondary to lack of prospective studies designed to address this issue. This article critically reviews the current evidence for the importance of 24-h IOP measurements in glaucoma and discusses shortcomings of current methods to assess 24-h IOP data, drawing attention to new developments in this field.

Analysis of continuous 24-hour intraocular pressure patterns in glaucoma

PURPOSE

To present a method to analyze circadian intraocular pressure (IOP) patterns in glaucoma patients and suspects undergoing repeated continuous 24-hour IOP monitoring.

METHODS

Forty patients with established (n = 19) or suspected glaucoma (n = 21) underwent ambulatory 24-hour IOP monitoring on two sessions 1 week apart using a contact lens sensor (CLS). The CLS provides its output in arbitrary units (a.u.). A modified cosinor rhythmometry method was adapted to the CLS output to analyze 24-hour IOP patterns and their reproducibility. Nonparametric tests were used to study differences between sessions 1 and 2 (S1 and S2). Patients pursued their routine daily activities and their sleep was uncontrolled. CLS data were used to assess sleep times.

RESULTS

Complete 24-hour data from both sessions were available for 35 patients. Mean (SD) age of the patients was 55.8 ± 15.5 years. The correlation of the cosinor fitting and measured CLS values was r = 0.38 (Spearman r; P < 0.001) for S1, r = 0.50 (P < 0.001) for S2, whereas the correlation between S1 and S2 cosinor fittings was r = 0.76 (P < 0.001). Repeated nocturnal acrophase was seen in 62.9% of patients; 17.1% of patients had no repeatable acrophase. The average amplitude of the 24-hour curve was 143.6 ± 108.1 a.u. (S1) and 130.8 ± 68.2 a.u. (S2) (P = 0.936).

CONCLUSIONS

Adapting the cosinor method to CLS data is a useful way for modeling the rhythmic nature of 24-hour IOP patterns and evaluating their reproducibility. Repeatable nocturnal acrophase was seen in 62.9% of patients. (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT01319617.).