Invention Description
Wireless capacitive pressure sensors have been widely studied for health monitoring applications including continues monitoring of blood flow in patients suffering from high blood pressure, tracking of bladder pressure in patients with urine incontinence, and monitoring intracranial pressure in patients experiencing traumatic brain injuries. However, a key challenge remains in increasing the sensitivity of these sensors to applied pressure. Conventional approaches typically focus on altering the geometrical structure of the dielectric layer or utilizing different polymers. However, these methods often face limitations related to the physical stability, complexity, and practicality of fabricating the structures.
Researchers at Arizona State University have developed an ultra-sensitive, biocompatible wireless capacitive pressure sensor utilizing a nanocomposite dielectric layer with zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles for real-time biomedical applications. The ZnO nanoparticles are embedded in styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene (SEBS) and have a pyramid-structured design to enhance sensitivity for pressure monitoring. This provides optimized mechanical support to the structures, ensuring that more of them are properly formed. This not only increases the sensitivity of the sensors to applied pressure but also strengthens the structures on the dielectric layer, preventing deformation after pressure is applied. Further, this does not dramatically change the dielectric constant of the polymer, preventing sensitivity degradation.
This innovation has the potential to revolutionize wireless passive capacitive pressure sensor technology, providing a more robust and efficient approach to enhancing sensitivity.
Potential Applications
- Wearable & implantable health monitoring devices for intraocular, blood bladder, and intracranial pressure, and critical patient monitoring
- Industrial applications requiring precise wireless pressure sensing
- Research and development tools in biomechanics & physiological monitoring
Benefits and Advantages
- Streamlined design and pyramid-structured nanocomposite
- Removes the necessity for complex new structure designs and avoids the associated challenges of ensuring physical stability
- Enhances the sensitivity and measurement resolution of pressure sensors regardless of their dielectric layer structure shape
- 4.3-fold sensitivity improvement compared to pure SEBS layers, reaching 45 MHz mmHg−1
- Boosts the sensor's sensitivity to applied pressure
- Greater Resolution – improves the resolution of pressure measurements
- Broad Applicability – Applicable to wide range of wireless capacitive pressure sensor applications
- 40% increase in reading distance via an improved pickup probe
- Biocompatibility validated via in vivo and cytotoxicity tests.
- Proven reliability in in vivo intracranial pressure monitoring
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