Design of a Ti-based microsensor for in vivo pressure monitoring

In this paper, the design of a novel bulk-titanium-based capacitive sensor for in vivo pressure monitoring was modeled analytically and by finite element method (FEM). In vivo pressure monitoring is one of the most relevant parameters to measure, because it can be correlated to patient health (blood, bladder, eyes, skull, abdomen). However, existing microsensors based on non-biocompatible materials such as silicon suffer from complex, bulky and costly biocompatible packaging, which also affects the sensors sensitivity. Progress on Ti MEMS technologies open promising ways to overcome these issues, as Ti material is already largely used in the industry of medical implants for its excellent mechanical properties, resistance to corrosion and biocompatibility. Recent results on dry etching showed the possibility to realize bulk-titanium-based microsystems. Here, we propose a capacitive pressure sensor combining two structures: a micropillar and a Ti membrane.