Miniaturization of Catheters and Pressure Sensors

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This study will investigate the feasibility of developing a miniature catheter, and a high-fidelity silicon pressure sensor to be mounted at the catheter tip, suitable for introduction through the femoral artery of a 20- gram transgenic mouse for measuring blood pressure and rate of change of blood pressure (dP/dt) throughout cardiovascular system. The sensor will have a high frequency response sufficient for accurate reproduction of transgenic mouse blood pressure waveforms, at heart rates of up to 1,000 beats per minute with pressure change rates of up to 20,000 mmHg per second. The proposed sensor will be half the size of sensors currently available to permit collection of data from cardiovascular sits now inaccessible in the transgenic mouse. To determine feasibility, catheters of the required size will e built with modified sensors. Several alternative designs will be tested and data extrapolated to determine solvability of miniaturization issues. Since many forms of heart disease are caused or affected by genetic factors, the transgenic mouse is the research animal of choice. A more complete description of the effect of a single gene on the cardiovascular system would further the search for cultures of these diseases, the leading cause of death in America. PROPOSED COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS: Transgenic mice are being used by the thousands throughout the world with several mouse colonies having 20,000 or more mice at any one time. We would consider several hundred of these devices being sold a year as being an economic success for this particular device alone. The sensor itself can be used in other devices, such as wireguides, and the potential application for these devices is many tens of thousands per year.