Application of Aidong film sensor in medical equipment

January 3rd, 2013 , Posted By H. Rackham

Sensor based Medical Intelligence: medical applications pose special challenges to device manufacturers. One of the essential characteristics of equipment and instruments in the choice of survival or death is high reliability. In turn, each component used in such equipment replaces similar reliability requirements, especially the electromechanical components of the human machine interface (HMI). Pressure sensor is a series of components in HMI components, which is also widely used in the rapidly expanding market of personal medical monitoring equipment. The technology that sensor equipment provides together, the term that is created recently is "self quantification". This paper discusses the current application of pressure sensors in medical and health care products. At the same time, it shows that the upgrading of sensor technology may be the key factor to control the increasing cost of health care system.

With the development of mechanical and electrical technology in the past decades, new sensors continue to emerge, which in turn gives birth to the expanding scope of instruments and systems, which can be used in the medical field. In the middle of the 20th century, the hospital continuous monitoring system became possible, which can continuously monitor the vital signs of patients. Any measurement value beyond their normal range can automatically generate alarm events. Until then, the only way to do this is to arrange every nurse to take care of every patient in intensive care. The second half of the 20th century witnessed the development of the computer age, as well as the transformation from analog signal measuring equipment to digital signal testing equipment. As the function of digital processor is more and more powerful and its size is smaller and smaller, so is the sensor equipment. With the invention of new types of sensors during this period, the miniaturization of traditional sensors, such as load weighing and strain gauge, is also emerging. One such device is the pressure sensing resistor (as shown in Figure 1). Because of its cost-effective characteristics, the i-motion membrane pressure sensor produced in 2010 was widely used in different industries, including medical devices.

Because of its reliability and durability, i-motion film pressure sensor is the basic feature of medical equipment. The failure of the function of this equipment in an emergency is unacceptable because it may lead to loss of life. The i-motion film pressure sensor can be used for specific functions of the human-machine interface, and can also be used with other sensor technology to improve the quality of data transmission. For example, they can be used to activate tactile feedback as if enough pressure was applied to a button or key when "clicking" sound or vibration. In the following sections, we will review some of the features of the devices used in hospitals and doctors' offices with a large number of pressure sensing technologies.

Examples of intelligent medical beds: various types of devices require contact (or non-contact) between the device surface and the patient's body parts. One example is radiotherapy equipment for tumors. In order to ensure the accurate location of tumor target, the energy beam must be precisely located and focused. During the treatment setup, this can be done by using a touch protection detector that integrates the pressure sensing resistor of the Aidong film. The unique features of the i-motion film pressure sensor can distinguish between a touch and a press in this application project. Aidong membrane pressure sensor is suitable for hospital bed monitoring application. Pressure sensor is not only used to detect whether the patient has left their bed, but also can be used to confirm the information of specific pressure point on the bed. Sensor row and column matrix can be used in this kind of application. Mattress pressure sensor is a customized part of AI Dong i-motion. For various reasons, patients may leave the hospital bed, some are completely normal, some are not. For example, going to the toilet is normal; leaving the hospital without the authorization and approval of the patient's doctor is abnormal! The bed position sensor based on AI Dong membrane pressure sensor technology can send alarm signals to nurses no matter a patient goes to bed or gets out of bed, no matter what reason.

In practical application, the monitoring of pressure point is even more important. By generating a programmable alarm signal, when the patient's position changes over time, the bed monitoring system can notify the nurse. It is not advisable for a patient to put pressure on the injured part of his body for a long time, or even lie down for a long time, which can also lead to stress ulcer in a normal area. A study conducted under the auspices of the National Institutes of health found that the average hospitalization cost per patient with stress ulcer in 2006 was $48000. This represents a minimum annual expenditure of $11 billion for the U.S. healthcare system, excluding nursing homes and home care. The study concluded that preventing the deterioration of stress ulcers at an early stage could eliminate the great pain and suffering, while saving tens of thousands of lives and reducing health care spending by millions of dollars.

Example of intelligent infusion tube: another requirement for position perception is the case of special infusion pump. Through a qualified medical operator in the infusion pump installed in the infusion tube, must be accurately positioned to ensure that the flow of liquid is all accurately controlled by the infusion pump. To achieve this, the infusion pump structure contains the customized Aidong membrane pressure sensor. If the infusion pipe cannot be accurately positioned, the system will automatically start the alarm signal.

Although the position rigid measurement method of flow control as an integrated component of a regulated pump device, there is a more common need to determine satisfactory infusion flow in the connecting pipe. For example, in the application of portable infusion pump, the failure of detection block will threaten life. To prevent this possibility, these pumps are usually equipped with sensors to measure the feedback pressure in the infusion pump assembly. If the upstream pressure is lower than the preset level, or the downstream pressure rises beyond its preset limit, then the corresponding alarm will be triggered automatically. Because of its small volume, thin thickness and flexible shape, piezoresistor is an ideal choice for such applications. Aidong membrane pressure sensor provides such a solution, which can be separately used for part of the source in the infusion tube. The purpose of the sensor's pressure block detector is to detect subtle changes in the positive and negative air pressure in the hose, which produces a corresponding passive resistance output signal. If the signal drifts beyond the normal detection range, the alarm can be triggered automatically. For example, it can be used in combination with intravenous drip feed (IV) to trigger an alarm in case of blockage in the infusion tube. If the liquid has been completed, the system can also trigger an alarm.

Other medical devices: various types of devices require contact (or non-contact) between the device surface and the patient's body parts. One example is radiotherapy equipment for tumors. In order to ensure the accurate location of tumor target, the energy beam must be precisely located and focused. During the treatment setup, this can be done by using a touch protection detector that integrates the pressure sensing resistor of the Aidong film. The unique features of the i-motion film pressure sensor can distinguish between a touch and a press in this application project.