Injectsense, a California-based digital health company, has announced the first successful human implant of its miniature intraocular pressure (IOP) sensor, IOP-Connect. The sensor, implanted by Dr. Juan Mura at the Centro de la Vision in Santiago, Chile, allows for continuous monitoring of IOP without patient intervention.

The IOP-Connect device is smaller than a grain of rice, and is designed to be implanted in a sutureless, minimally invasive procedure. It is expected to provide dynamic, real-time data on IOP fluctuations from inside the eye. The trial is continuing with a target enrollment of 20 subjects, the company said in a press release.

In 2020, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) designated IOP-Connect for its Breakthrough Device Program (BDP), which is intended to accelerate the development of new technologies that have the potential to provide more effective treatment or diagnosis for life-threatening or irreversibly debilitating diseases or conditions. Injectsense has also received development grants from the National Eye Institute for IOP-Connect.

According to the company, next steps include incorporating a solid-state microbattery into the sensor, which will allow continuous measurement of IOP. Future plans include the use of smart glasses to wirelessly recharge the sensor and upload data from the implant on a weekly basis.