MEMS Pressure Sensor Array Wearable for Traditional Chinese Medicine Pulse-Taking

Abstract

Advances in wireless microelectronics and low-cost sensor manufacturing have led to a variety of wearable technologies, with many wearable devices today being used for monitoring health and wellness. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is a relatively unexplored area of interest as a type of "alternative medicine". In this paper, we evaluated the suitability of a prototype system based on a 3-sensor array of 3 MEMS barometers for TCM pulse-taking applications: this included characterization of the sensitivity, thermal, and temporal response and its effectiveness in measuring pressure waveforms in a physiologic simulation with a graded-pressure fluid flowing through in an artery-mimicking phantom. Our results demonstrated that the prototype was adequate for such applications and confirmed the optimal specifications for the sensor casting rubber (5.7 mm thick) and design. The suitability was evaluated against conventional pulse-taking methodology and waveforms in TCM practice, as well as the arterial pulse features at the forearm and wrist.