An optoelectronic system for intra-ocular drug detection

Miller, J. and Wilson, C.G. and Uttamchandani, D.G. (2001) An optoelectronic system for intra-ocular drug detection. Proceedings of SPIE: The International Society for Optical Engineering, 4263 (48). pp. 48-54. (https://doi.org/10.1117/12.429346)

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Abstract

The authors report on the development of a novel technique for non-invasive measurements of the concentration of drugs in the anterior chamber of the eye. Presently there is no satisfactory, real-time method available to the ophthalmic community. Accurate determination of drug concentrations in the eye would be of great value and assistance to researchers and drug companies manufacturing ophthalmic drugs and ocular implants, enabling a better understanding of intra-ocular pharmacokinetics. At present researchers use techniques of direct sampling of the aqueous humour from laboratory animal eyes into which the drug has been introduced topically or systemically. Rabbit eyes are frequently used in this context. Sampling via paracentesis is invasive, can be painful and moreover does not yield a continuous measurement. Our approach to addressing this measurement requirement is, in effect to turn the eye into a cuvette and use optical absorbance spectroscopy measurements to obtain drug concentrations. A novel contact lens has been designed using commercial, off-the-shelf, optical design software. The lenses have been optimised to direct light across the anterior chamber of the rabbit eye. Practical demonstration and characterisation of light propagation across the eye has been undertaken and will be reported on. Preliminary results on the identification of drug compounds introduced into the animal and model eyes will be also reported.

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