An ultraminiature CMOS pressure sensor for a multiplexed cardiovascular catheter

A multiplexed ultraminiature pressure sensor designed for use in a cardiovascular catheter is reported. The sensor operates from only two leads, which are shared by two sensors per catheter. The sensing chip is 350 mu m wide by 1.4 mm long by 100 mu m thick. CMOS readout electronics at the sensing site convert applied pressure to a frequency variation in the supply current, which is detected at the end of the catheter by a microprocessor-controlled interface. The nominal pressure sensitivity is 2 kHz/fF about a zero-pressure output frequency of 2.7 MHz. This on-site circuitry contains two reference capacitors which allow external compensation for nonlinearity and temperature sensitivity and has an idle-state power dissipation of less than 50 mu W. With the transducer sealed at ambient pressure, the device can resolve pressure variations of about 3 mmHg, while vacuum-sealed devices do considerably better and should permit <2 mmHg resolution in practical systems.<>