title: Construction and calibration of a low-cost bandage pressure monitor.
abstract: This study describes the construction and calibration of a three-channel bandage pressure monitor and evaluates its in-service use. The monitor was constructed from a range of commercially available, relatively inexpensive components consisting of a pressure sensor, piezoresistive transducer, differential amplifier and liquid crystal display. The pressure sensors show a good ratio of thickness to surface area (< 10%) and are sufficiently robust and flexible to conform to most anatomical profiles. The transducers are internally calibrated and temperature-compensated to provide an accurate and stable measurement of gauge pressure relative to atmospheric pressure. During laboratory assessment and in-service use, the system has proved to be reliable, accurate (typically < +/- 0.5 mmHg) and reproducible over repeated calibration.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Physics, Salford Royal Hospitals NHS Trust, Hope Hospital, UK.
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.forename: A D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Taylor
mesh_terms: D001458:Bandages; D002138:Calibration; D004867:Equipment Design; D006801:Humans; D008365:Manometry / Q000295:instrumentation*; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic / Q000295:instrumentation*; D011312:Pressure; D011446:Prospective Studies; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012815:Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted; D014159:Transducers