Instrument Mounted Liquid-Pressure Sensor System for Biomedical Applications

Pressurized liquids are utilized during surgeries to inflate or clean bodily cavities. There are certain injuries associated with over-pressurization. A pressure-monitoring device with allows a physician to monitor pressure as a physiological measurement will help to reduce post-surgical complications. This paper discusses a system that is designed for use by physicians to monitor fluid pressures in the body. A flexible, piezoresistive sensor is affixed to the exterior of a surgical instrument for data collection. The pressure measurements are displayed to the physician in real-time, and saved for later inspection. The physician can then opt to receive alerts when an excessive pressure has been reached. The sensors had a sensitivity of S = 0.05994 ± 0.004 kPa^-1. Repeatability of the measurements was found to be within 0.00762 kPa^-1 when tested using three separate sensors, an error of 24%.