Piezoresistive MOF for Intraocular Pressure Monitoring

Continuous monitoring of intraocular pressure (IOP) is critical for the diagnosis and management of glaucoma. Flexible piezoresistive wearable devices, featuring high sensitivity and simple signal processing, enable such continuous monitoring. Recently, conductive metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have shown promising potential in electronic devices due to their coordination self-assembly, which allows integration with various complex substrates for wearable sensor applications. Here, we present a flexible piezoresistive sensor with a layered fiber structure, achieved through in situ assembly of Cu₃(HHTP)₂ on poly(ether sulfone) (PES) fibers using a template method. The resulting sensor exhibits excellent signal stability, high sensitivity (8.10 kPa^-1), a rapid response time (34 ms), and over 10,000 cycles of stability. Additionally, finite element analysis of corneal stress guided the design and fabrication of an IOP sensor encapsulated in a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) contact lens. Preliminary feasibility of the sensor was validated through tests on porcine eye, demonstrating its potential for wearable human applications.