An ocular compression device for reduction of elevated post anesthetic intraocular pressure

Rise in Intra Ocular Pressure (IOP), after administration of regional ophthalmic anesthesia for surgery, is a commonly observed clinical phenomenon. Rise in IOP increases risk of retinal ischemia and leads to surgical complications. The current clinical practice for reduction of IOP, after delivery of local anesthesia, is manually administered digital compression. The highly subjective nature of manual compression, results in unknown duration and magnitude of the pressure applied, thus limiting the clinical effectiveness of the procedure. The work presented here addresses the need for a device that delivers all the benefits of digital compression, while eliminating the uncertainty and risks involved. Design, development and clinical validation of an air pressure based compression device have been presented in this paper. This device makes the compression procedure safe and reliable by quantifying all compression parameters applied and considering safety limits for individual subjects.