Disposable and trimmable wireless pressure sensor for medical applications

Abstract

Disposable pressure sensor methods and systems are disclosed. A substrate can be provided, along with a capacitor and an inductor fixed to the substrate to form a pressure sensor thereof. In a variable L configuration, the inductor can be configured to comprise an inductor surface and a diaphragm, such that when the diaphragm is exposed to a pressure, the diaphragm moves close to the inductor surface, thereby resulting in an increase in the inductance and a decrease in the resonant frequency associated with the capacitor and the inductor and any associated circuitry. In a variable C configuration, the capacitor can be configured to comprise one electrode on the surface and one on the diaphragm, such that when the diaphragm is exposed to a pressure, the diaphragm moves close to the capacitor surface, thereby resulting in an increase in the capacitance and a decrease in the resonant frequency associated with the capacitor and the inductor and any associated circuitry. Such increase and / or decrease data are detectable by external interrogation.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD [0001] Embodiments are generally related to sensing devices and applications. Embodiments are also related to pressure sensor devices, systems and methods thereof. Embodiments are additionally related to pressure sensors utilized in medical applications. Embodiments are additionally related to low cost disposable sensing devices. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] A variety of sensors can be utilized to detect conditions, such as pressure and temperature. The ability to detect pressure and / or temperature is an advantage to any device exposed to variable pressure conditions, which can be severely affected by these conditions. An example of such a device is a catheter or a cartridge for hemodialysis machine, which of course, can experience variations in both temperature and pressure. Many different techniques have been proposed for sensing the pressure and / or temperature in catheters and cartridges, and for delivering this information to an operator so that he or she i...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0018] The aforementioned aspects of the invention and other objectives and advantages can now be achieved as described herein. Disposable LC wireless pressure sensor systems and methods are disclosed. A substrate can be provided. The substrate can be, for example, plastic, PCB or other low cost materials. In the variable capacitance design, a capacitor electrode and a planar inductor can be printed on the substrate to form a pressure sensor thereof. Another capacitor electrode can be located on the pressure diaphragm. In a variable inductance design, the inductor can be configured to comprise a planar inductor on the substrate and a ferromagnetic pressure diaphragm, such that when the diaphragm is exposed to a pressure, the diaphragm moves close to the planar inductor, thereby resulting in an increase in the inductance and a decrease in the resonant frequency of the LC tank resonant circuit associated with the capacitor and the inductor and any associated circuitry.

[0019] Such increase and / or decrease data are detectable by external interrogation. The diaphragm can be configured from a ferromagnetic material, such as, for example, Fe3O4, alloys containing iron, nickel or cobalt, ferrite lamination, and the like. The diaphragm can also be configured as a bossed or corrugated structure. Interrogation electronics can be associated with the pressure sensor, including the inductor and / or the capacitor, in order to detect the capacitance or inductance variation and changes in the resonant frequency. Calibration can be accomplished utilizing, for example, a laser trimming mechanism for laser trimming the capacitor and / or inductor.

Problems solved by technology

One of the problems with current SAW sensor designs, particularly those designs adapted to lower pressure range applications, is the inability of conventional SAW sensing systems to meet the demand in low pressure applications.

Such systems are inherently expensive, awkward, and often are not reliable in accurately sensing air pressure and temperature.

For example, an LC resonator (tank) sensor has the potential of being utilized as a low cost sensor with a low interrogation cost, but provides a relatively poor sensor performance.

An LC tank with regulated power, an associated ASIC and so forth has also been implemented, such a device may be good for multiple sensing applications, but such a configuration presents a high sensor cost and a large area coil.

PVDF acoustic wave sensors are also known and are based on low cost materials such as polymer along with flexible components thereof, but PVDF acoustic wave sensors are typically both piezo-electric and pyro-electric (i.e., highly temperature dependent), and cannot be exposed to temperatures greater than 120° C. Additionally the dimensions for a PVDF sensor are frequency dependent, such that the higher frequencies increase the associated costs to the sensor.

Another example of a conventional sensor is the magneto elastic sensor, which is based on a low cost material, but such a sensor has difficulties in overcoming ambient RF effects, while also possessing long term stability issues associated with permanent magnetic materials, temperature variation and hysteresis problems.

A further example of a passive sensor is a quartz SAW sensor, which is generally accurate but results in a high sensor cost (i.e., material and etching) and trimming thereof lowers the Q value, and hence the performance of the device.

Additionally the interrogation electronics (IE) for such a device can be expensive.

But it is difficult to control PZT chemistry (e.g., grain size, orientation, residual stress, control of nucleation at the at the electrode / PZT interface, Zr / Ti ratio control).

PZT SAW sensor devices are also plagued with issues related to electrode materials migration, another drawback to the use of such a device.

The LiNbO3 SAW sensor possesses a lower cost structure than the Quartz SAW sensor, but remains too high for cost-effective applications, particularly when considering its associated sensor packaging and interrogation electronics (IE) costs.

The relative position needs reference sensor, and therefore the alignment is difficult to control in sensing applications.

Another drawback to optical sensors is that such devices are susceptible to environmental interference.

To date, such components have not been adequately achieved.

Conventional pressure sensors are expensive to implement in medical applications, rendering their wide-spread use limited, particularly in medical applications.

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