Capacitive Micro-machined Ultrasonic Transducers Arrays for Continuous Intraocular Pressure Monitoring.

The Intraocular Pressure (IOP) is a key modifiable parameter used for the diagnosis of glaucoma, a degenerative eye disease. Most of the current IOP measurement techniques involve contact with the ocular surface (may introduce patient discomfort) and are unsuitable for continuous IOP monitoring, a process which can possibly raise patient care standards. This paper describes the micro-fabrication of a Capacitive Micro-machined Ultrasonic Transducers (CMUT) array which can potentially improve patient comfort with a non-contact measurement approach and lead to better disease management decisions through continuous IOP levels monitoring. Initial testing of CMUT devices submerged in an oil medium gave an output pressure of 40 kPa at 2.5 MHz. (Some figures in this article are in color only in the electronic version) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]