Design of MEMS biomedical pressure sensor for gait analysis

• Published in: 2008 IEEE International Conference on Semiconductor Electronics pp. 166 - 169
• Main Authors: Wahab, Y., Zayegh, A., Begg, R.K., Veljanovski, R.
• Format: Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: IEEE 01-11-2008
• Subjects: Biomedical measurements; Biomembranes; Biosensors; Design optimization; Foot; Hysteresis; Micromechanical devices; Piezoresistive devices; Pressure measurement; Voltage
• ISBN: 142443873X; 9781424425600; 9781424438730; 1424425603
• DOI: 10.1109/SMELEC.2008.4770300

Measurement of the foot and shoe interface pressure underpins a number of important applications. Abnormal pressure may indicate instability in gait, risks of diabetic ulceration and many other biomedical and sports applications. As the current foot pressure sensors in the market exhibit many limitations, a new sensor design based on the more promising MEMS technology was therefore explored. As such, this paper reports the analysis and optimization of a MEMS pressure sensor for foot pressure measurement. The pressure sensor had a high linearity output with pressure span of more than 2-MPa. This characteristic indicates excellent potential for a wide spectrum of biomechanical activities.