Telemetric non-contact intraocular pressure monitoring with an implanted sensor in patients with glaucoma: long-term safety report and monitoring data.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Glaucoma is a chronic disease that requires lifelong monitoring and treatment. However, its control is limited due to discontinuous intraocular pressure (IOP) monitoring related to the practitioners' office hours. Implantable telemetric IOP sensors have made self-measurements possible and provide important information regarding the IOP profiles of patients. However, limited long-term monitoring data are currently available.

METHODS

In the ARGOS-01 study, a telemetric IOP sensor was implanted in the ciliary sulcus of six patients with open-angle glaucoma during cataract surgery between 2011 and 2012. This study reports telemetric monitoring data collected by self-tonometry and automated measurements and during outpatient visits, including an analysis of one active patient with several years of follow-up. The long-term safety, tolerability and functionality were assessed in the remaining patients during the last visit.

RESULTS

The follow-up period was up to 10 years, in which almost 25 000 IOP measurements were performed. The patients had excellent tolerance of the implanted sensor and did not experience sensor-related discomfort or complications. The active patient reported easy handling of self-tonometry and did not experience long-term restrictions in activities of daily living due to the implanted sensor. Telemetric data provide an insight into patients' measurement routines and IOP fluctuations.

CONCLUSION

So far, our data suggest good long-term safety, tolerability and functionality of the implanted sensors up to almost ten years. Such sensors may help facilitate patients' self-measurements of IOP. This disease monitoring method should be investigated further to determine if it helps improve wider patient experience, engagement and visual prognosis for those being treated for complex glaucoma.