Silicon sensors for use in catheters

To reduce the amount of trauma during medical procedures, so-called minimally invasive procedures are being used. In vascular interventions, catheters are used in the blood vessels. In order to Increase the amount of information a physician has available during these interventions, sensors are needed. To this end, a multiple parameter sensor to measure blood pressure, flow, oxygen saturation and temperature, and a sensor to determine the age of blood clots using colour are developed. In addition, a system to reduce the amount of ionising radiation needed during the positioning of catheters is developed. The special environment puts high demands on the packaging. It needs to protect the sensor from the body, the body from the sensor but allow the parameter to be measured access to the sensor. To overcome the uncertain positioning of the sensor within the vessel, a special sensor catheter needs to be designed.