University of Washington researchers have designed a sensor that could be placed permanently in one’s eye to track pressure changes. It would be embedded with an artificial lens during cataract surgery. The sensor would detect pressure changes instantaneously and then wirelessly transmit the data using radio frequency waves.

Eye pressure is thought to vary throughout the day and with activity levels. Currently, one must visit an ophthalmologist to check intraocular pressure. Changes are often noticed too late, when the patient has glaucoma and cannot be treated effectively.

The team built a prototype that uses radio frequency for wireless power and data transfer. A thin, circular antenna spans the perimeter of the device – roughly tracing a person’s iris – and harnesses enough energy from the surrounding field to power a small pressure sensor chip. The chip communicates with a close-by receiver about any shifts in frequency, which signify a change in pressure. Actual pressure is then calculated and changes are tracked and recorded in real time.

The prototype must be miniaturized to fit into an artificial lens, and the research team is working to decrease its size. They have successfully tested the sensing device embedded in the same flexible silicon material that’s used to create artificial lenses in cataract surgeries.