MAGNETIC SENSOR FOR MONITORING OF PHYSIOLOGICAL FUNCTIONS
Abstract
The present work investigates the application of magnetostrictive amorphous ribbons (AR, thickness <i>d</i><sub>AR</sub> ≈ 30 µm) for the detection of mechanical bending. Such ribbons exhibit high bending sensitivity if used as a bimetal where the second component is a nonmagnetic carrier ribbon (CR) of thickness <i>d</i><sub>CR</sub>. The aim of this study was to develop a bimetal ribbon which is fixed to the skin of the human body and should adjust itself to dynamic changes of the skin curvature. A main problem results from the demand of good flexibility - favoured by low <i>d</i><sub>CR</sub> - as well as high sensitivity - favoured by high <i>d</i><sub>CR</sub>. As a second problem, the agglutination layer showes a tendency to act as a third component. However, reducing the thickness of this layer to a minimum, sensitivity values sufficiently high to detect physiological functions during sleep or anaesthesia were attained. For this application, the bimetal was fixed on the neck skin in the region of the carotid artery. This position proves to offer a signal of "mixed" character. Through mathematical separation, it yields physiological data like heart rate and respiration rate, and further diagnostically relevant events like motions, swallowing actions or snoring.
Event details
- Event
- XVI IMEKO World Congress
- Place
- Vienna, AUSTRIA
- Time
- 25 September 2000 - 28 September 2000