The present disclosure relates generally to devices for measuring fluid pressure, and more particularly to devices for invasively measuring fluid pressure.
The monitoring of blood pressure in patients undergoing hemodialysis or infusion is usually performed with a non-disposable device. Such devices may include electronic sensors that have a saline buffer between the fluid and the sensor. One potential problem with non-disposable fluid pressure measuring devices is that the spread of disease may be substantially difficult to control. Various fluid-pressure devices use fluid (liquid or gel), generally contained between two diaphragms, as the media to transmit the pressure to the sensor that monitors pressure. One of the diaphragms conforms responsive to the pressure received, while the other contains the fluid.
Many diaphragms used in hemodialysis or infusion blood-pressure devices are in an elastic condition, which generally requires calibration between uses. These devices generally use both: well-controlled materials for the diaphragm and/or mounting of the diaphragm; and a calibration procedure that accounts for mounting and material variability. Such materials and calibration generally undesirably add to the expense of the device and efficiency of use thereof.
As such, it would be desirable to provide a device that is disposable, thereby substantially aiding in the prevention of bio-contamination from one patient to the next. Further, it would be desirable to provide such a device that generally does not require calibration between uses.