Design and development of a mockup of the circulation to test wireless implantable pressure sensors powered and controlled by volume conduction

Abstract

Arterial blood pressure is a crucial indicator for cardiac conditions like hypertension, heart failure, strokes and limb ischemia. Current wireless devices diagnose heart failure through blood pressure measurement. Developing such implantable sensors requires meticulous fine-tuning, and acute chronic animal testing before clinical trials. To reduce the number of animals required in pre-clinical trials during this fine-tuning phase, accessible circulatory flow simulator mockups are used. However, existing designs are costly or use materials that are not commercially available. This study aims to develop an adaptable mockup for the development of an intravascular sensor. The in vitro mockup generates customizable flows, tests movement and migration due to the fluid’s flow, and enables the evaluation of different wireless power transfer and communications methods as volume conduction. It produces physiologically expected pressure values that have been obtained from intravascular sensors. The mockup will be designed as an open-access tool that includes commercially available materials and electronic parts. The methodology involves literature review, creating flow simulations, and developing and integrating hydraulic and electronic circuits, Arduino code, and a user interface. Results are validated by comparing built-in sensor measurements, tested sensor results, and flow simulations. The expected outcomes are a robust, user-friendly model that allows parameter modifications, generates real-time graphs, and exports pressure data in CSV format. The built-in sensors will correspond to physiological pressure values, and the tested intravascular sensor will seamlessly integrate with the mockup, resulting in a flexible and open-access tool for fine-tuning these devices.