A capacitive pressure sensor for measurement of interfacial pressure between a sphygmomanometer cuff and the arm

A variable capacitance force or pressure sensor has been designed employing a compliant dielectric structure. The device was fabricated using thin- and thick-film technology to give a thin structure that can be placed between a sphygmomanometer cuff and the arm to determine interfacial pressure distributions. Preliminary results show linear, stable, reproducible characteristics over a range of 0-500 mmHg.