Arterial Tonometer

Client:
Colin Electronics

Need

Minimally invasive blood pressure monitoring

Solution

Arterial tonometry is a technique for blood-pressure measurement in which an array of pressure sensors is pressed against the skin over an artery.

• SRI engineers along with the licensee developed two tonometers for hospital applications
• Developed a miniature array of 31 micromachined pressure transducers
• Designed a support structure with at least two independent degrees of freedom to ensure correct arterial placement
• Developed the data acquisition and signal processing system for data reduction of the 31 pressure signals
• Designed the operator interface and display generation.

Result

The primary application for these instruments is blood-pressure monitoring during surgery. The instruments also have unique advantages for applications in space travel, medical, and psychological research.