Highly flexible capacitive strain gauge for continuous long-term blood pressure monitoring.

An innovative procedure for measuring blood pressure, with none of the disadvantages of current procedures, is proposed. A highly-flexible capacitive strain gauge has been designed to measure changes in the diameter of a blood vessel; such changes are indicative of blood pressure. The sensor is implanted and wrapped around an arterial blood vessel during the normal course of a surgical procedure. In vivo tests, demonstrating the feasibility of this concept, are reported, along with in vitro tests and notes on sensor design and fabrication. These continuous blood pressure monitoring sensors may be used for a continuous long-term monitoring of blood pressure and pulse. They may also be combined with a real-time nerve stimulation technique or a course of medication to create a closed-loop system for blood-pressure control.