Pressure sensors for the monitoring of diseases in surgical care

Microtechnology components are already pointing the way forwards in minimally invasive diagnosis, therapy and therapy monitoring, in implants and medication dosage systems. The latest developments show a wide range of new possible uses for microtechnology in medical applications. The world market in physical pressure, temperature and acceleration sensors was worth several hundred billion euros in 2003. Given the extreme miniaturisation now possible through micro- and nanotechnology, such sensors readily suggest themselves for medical applications. If physical sensors are linked to a telemetric unit for wireless data transmission, are biocompatibly packaged or are implanted in a minimally invasive procedure, then bodily functions such as the acceleration of vessel walls, blood pressure, temperature or nerve streams can be measured permanently and wirelessly. Regarding pressure sensors, surgical diagnosis is yielding a range of possibilities extending from pressure measurements in the brain following a trauma, compartment pressure measurements in the abdomen, organs or extremities through to bladder pressure measurements for injury patients with compartment syndrome. The present work gives a surgery-based overview of the latest developments and trends in this high technology field.