MEMS Blood Pressure Sensor for a Pediatric VAD

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Approximately 30,000 new cases of congenital heart disease (CHD) occur each year with an annual mortality rate of 5,000 to 6,000 patients. At least 20% of these patients die due to perioperative ventricular failure, progressive cardiomyopathy (CM) or complications following cardiac transplants. Of those, 1,000 to 1,200 pediatric patients per year represent the candidates for our PediaFlowTM Ventricular Assist Device (PVAD). This project aims to enable end-diastolic pressure control for the PediaFlowTM by developing a miniature pressure sensor to be embedded in the pump inflow wall. This pressure sensor incorporates a number of innovations including: a dynamically-balanced silicon resonator, connector-less assembly through the use of a permanent magnet coupling concept, and a pulsed approach to excitation and signal processing. These innovations will lead to a low-cost hermetically-sealed 2mm-scale pressure sensor which meets the above need as well as being applicable to cardiac catheterized patients and other surgical candidates. MEMS Blood Pressure Sensor for a Pediatric VAD Principal Investigator: Brink, Damon Project Narrative The measurement of blood pressure is critical to the ongoing treatment of many circulatory ailments. Any of the thousands of cardiac surgery patients, in particular patients utilizing ventricular assist devices (VADs), especially infants, require nearly constant monitoring. This project applies new electromechanical systems (MEMS) technology to enable software algorithms and clinicians to easily track fluctuations in blood pressure.