Design of a pressure sensor for monitoring of post-endovascular aneurysm repair
Alexandra T. Sepulveda, Isa C. T. Santos, Fabio Fachin, Roberto Guzmán de Villoria, Brian L. Wardle, A. J. Pontes, Júlio César Viana, Luis A. Rocha · Portuguese National Funding Agency for Science, Research and Technology (RCAAP Project by FCT) · 2011
This paper introduces the design and fabrication process of a flexible pressure sensor for monitoring postendovascular aneurysm repairs (EVAR). Biocompatible flexible PDMS membranes with embedded aligned carbon nanotubes (CNTs) with a conductivity of 11 S.m-1 and elastic modulus of 2 MPa are used to build a LC network for passive telemetry readout-out. The pressure sensor has a modelled sensitivity 14fF/mmHg for a pressure range between 6-47 mmHg, in agreement with the required application. The pressure sensor, with a 250 μm thickness and total area of 1 cm2, will be contained within the stent-graft and used to measure the pressure inside the aneurysm sac to detect complications related to the EVAR procedure.