Implantable pressure sensor could improve glaucoma treatment

Qura Inc., a digital health care startup, has signed a license agreement with Purdue Research Foundation and a development agreement with Helbling Technique to advance its wireless implantable pressure sensor technology.

The product promise is to improve medical and surgical management for glaucoma surgeons and their patients by providing 24/7 event detection and real time updates on disease progression.

The Helbling agreement includes the design, development and manufacture of Qura's implantable 'Q-Smart' sensor and data analytics system designed to monitor glaucoma, a disease of the eye in which excess fluid buildup causes high intraocular pressure, leading to damage to the optic nerve that may result in vision loss and ultimately, blindness.

"Physicians need as much information as possible to ideally prescribe and treat patients, and one of the biggest challenges they face is knowing how a prescribed drug and treatment regimen has been working," said Douglas Adams, co-founder and CEO of Qura. "The wireless implantable pressure sensor we have developed will provide real-time continuous actionable data that can improve the treatment and outcomes for the patient.

"What makes this minimally invasive micro implant unique is that it will operate autonomously regardless of patient activity. The programmable device collects data based on the physician's requirement and that data is transmitted to a handheld device or tablet. The physician will now have actionable data on which to base their treatment plans for the patient," Adams said.

Provided by Purdue University