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Review
. 2014 Oct 31;14(11):20620-44.
doi: 10.3390/s141120620.

Chronically implanted pressure sensors: challenges and state of the field

Lawrence Yu  1 , Brian J Kim  2 , Ellis Meng  3
Affiliations
Review

Chronically implanted pressure sensors: challenges and state of the field

Lawrence Yu et al. Sensors (Basel). .

Abstract

Several conditions and diseases are linked to the elevation or depression of internal pressures from a healthy, normal range, motivating the need for chronic implantable pressure sensors. A simple implantable pressure transduction system consists of a pressure-sensing element with a method to transmit the data to an external unit. The biological environment presents a host of engineering issues that must be considered for long term monitoring. Therefore, the design of such systems must carefully consider interactions between the implanted system and the body, including biocompatibility, surgical placement, and patient comfort. Here we review research developments on implantable sensors for chronic pressure monitoring within the body, focusing on general design requirements for implantable pressure sensors as well as specifications for different medical applications. We also discuss recent efforts to address biocompatibility, efficient telemetry, and drift management, and explore emerging trends.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
(a) Schematic of operation of a capacitive-based membrane pressure sensor. Diaphragm deflects under pressure, changing the effective distance between two parallel plates, and thus increases the measured capacitance across the plates; (b) Circuit model of passive LC tank, commonly used for inductively coupled telemetry of capacitive-based sensors.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Examples of implantable pressure sensor systems currently in development: (a) A capacitive-based sensor for measurements of intraocular pressure [39]; (b) Capacitive-based sensor developed by CardioMEMS for measurements of blood pressure; (c) Inductor-based sensor with piezoelectric energy harvester for measurements of bladder pressure (scale bar 10 mm) [45]; (d) Micro-bubble based pressure sensor for measurements of intracranial and bladder pressure (scale bar 100 μm) [61].
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Relevant pressure ranges for in vivo pressure monitoring for diagnostic applications [–67].
Figure 4.
Figure 4.
Relevant frequency bandwidths for varying pressure signals in vivo [,,–85].
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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