A novel implantable saw sensor for blood pressure monitoring

Abstract

A novel implantable surface acoustic wave (SAW) sensor has been developed for blood pressure monitoring. The sensor is a wireless and batteryless microsystem composed of an SAW resonator, an oscillating circuit and an RF power converter. The total volume of the sensor is 1.9cm <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">3</sup> and the weight is 2.5g including its bio-compatible silicone coating. The sensitivity of the sensor is 1.75 KHz/mmHg. In vivo tests have been performed in a rat, showing the capability of the sensor for monitoring the blood pressure of small laboratory animals.