OptiPress: Empowering Glaucoma Patients with Accessible At-Home Intraocular Pressure Monitoring

Overview

Glaucoma is the leading cause of preventable blindness globally and frequently characterized by a gradual increase of intraocular pressure (IOP). Current techniques for measuring IOP require direct contact with the eye and must be performed by professionals in clinical settings. While at-home solutions exist, they are cost-prohibitive. These factors limit frequent IOP monitoring, which is essential for effective glaucoma management, and disproportionately affect underserved communities with limited access to eye care. The OptiPress is designed to be an affordable and user-friendly device for at-home IOP monitoring based on the medical concept of palpation: the device presses onto a closed eyelid and infers the IOP of the eye underneath, avoiding the risks of direct corneal contact. An artificial eye was pressurized to 15, 20 and 25 mmHg to train a regression model and correlate OptiPress measurements to IOP. The correlation was verified at 15.86, 21.46, and 23.33 mmHg, with an average percent error of 2.51% and a mean absolute error of 0.55 mmHg. The OptiPress demonstrates potential for affordability, with component costs around $100, making it cost-effective. Its noninvasive design measures IOP through the eyelid without direct contact with the eye, which may enable safer at-home data collection, particularly in communities with limited access to ophthalmologic care. Future efforts will be dedicated to addressing variability in eyelid thicknesses and other testing conditions, while maintaining consistency and accuracy across trials.

Competition history

• CSEF 2026 Electronics & Electromagnetics (Senior Division) · Entry S-10-07

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