Date of Award

6-8-2016

Document Type

Thesis

Publisher

Santa Clara : Santa Clara University, 2016.

Department

Bioengineering

First Advisor

Emre Araci

Abstract

Glaucoma is one of the leading cause of blindness in the modern age, with more than 65,000,000 afflicted individuals world-wide. High intraocular pressure (IOP) is the main risk factor of the disease. Current methods of monitoring IOP require a visit to an opthamologist and expensive medical equipment which greatly reduces the frequency of measurement. We utilize 3D printing to develop an apparatus that will allow us to take accurate pictures of an implantable IOP sensor with a smartphone camera. This apparatus has a lens to magnify the image and an illumination system to provide appropriate lighting. Our results show that viable images can be taken of the sensor using the final design of the apparatus. We discovered that lighting of the eye could be achieved through the smartphone’s built-in flash directed through a fiber optics cable. However, the small window of focus on the sensor created inconsistencies in our images. Consequently, future developments of our apparatus should integrate with a proprietary app that will manage image focus and processing, and submit data directly to the patient’s doctor. Improved lighting can increase image quality by improving the seals between the phone, apparatus, and eye and reducing hotspots on the sensor.

Download

Share

COinS