A novel fibre Bragg grating pressure sensor for rotary ventricular assist devices

Abstract

Ventricular assist devices are used to support patients with end-stage heart failure. Many patients on long-term VAD support are treated out-of-hospital where monitoring technology for patients is severely limited; leading to sub-optimal patient management. This paper describes a novel fibre Bragg grating (FBG) pressure sensor which was developed for improved monitoring of patients with ventricular assist devices. The FBG sensor was fabricated in-house and characterised in a circulating heat bath. The FBG pressure sensor demonstrated a sensitivity of −0.0046 nm/mmHg with an accuracy of ± 0.35 mmHg, a resolution of 0.0019 mmHg and a response time of 89.7 mmHg/s. The high sensitivity and resolution combined with the adequate accuracy exhibited by the FBG sensor demonstrated its potential value of the FBG pressure sensor for monitoring patients with ventricular assist devices. Further investigation into device drift, improved manufacturing, and gas-impermeable biocompatible materials are required to prepare the sensor for pre-clinical trials.