Wireless Sensor Readout System for Bone Intramedullary Pressure Monitoring Applications

Wireless pressure sensors have attracted significant research interests in recent years, especially in the field of biomedical applications. Although majority of wireless pressure sensors utilize inductive coupling technology, these devices are limited to operation range of millimeters to centimeters. In this work, we report a wirelessly operated pressure sensing system based on Bluetooth
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Low Energy (BLE) for long-range implantable intramedullary pressure monitoring. Pressure measurements of the fabricated pressure sensing system showed that the pressure sensor provides timely and accurate responses to applied pressure ranging from 0-150 mmHg. Wireless transmission range measurement showed that the received signal power level ranges from -60 dBm to -75 dBm in a distance range of 0.5 m to 8 m. With the maximum sensitivity of -97 dBm, the wireless pressure sensing range is expected to be capable of long-range transmission in typical indoor operation.