A Preliminary Study Of An Active Microvalve For Glaucoma

FABIO A GUARNIERI; FERNANDO L. SASSETTI; LUCIANO GARELLI

Ft Lauderdale

Conferencia; ARVO meeting; 2012

The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology

Purpose: In this study, the characterisation of a preliminary design of an active glaucoma drainage device is presented. Methods: The valve is actuated by conducting polymers and fabricated by MEMS technology. The characterisation process is performed by numerical simulation using the finite element method and a circuit model, and by in vitro hydrodynamic testing. Results: The hydraulic resistance of the designed GDD varies in the range of 13.08-0.36 mmHg min/μl compared with 3.38-0.43 mmHg min/μl for the Ahmed valve. The maximum displacement of the diaphragm in the vertical direction is 18.9 μm, and the strain in the plane is 2%. Conclusions: The proposed preliminary design allows to control the IOP by varying the hydraulic resistance in a greater range than the existing passive valves, and the numerical simulation facilitates the characterisation and the improvement of the design before its construction, reducing time and costs.