Development of MEMS Flow and Pressure Sensor Device for Detection of Extravasation at an Early Stage

We developed a flow and pressure measurement device for detection of extravasation by intravenous injection of anticancer drugs at an early stage. Intravenous injection of a drug solution using a syringe pump enables a low-speed and highly accurate drug-administration rate. However, because the syringe pump forcibly delivers the drug solution, the drug solution is administrated at a constant administration rate regardless of the leakage of the drug solution to the outside of the blood vessel (extravasation) due to the indwelling needle coming out of the blood vessel. The proposed device is integrated into a flow-channel structure consisting of a PDMS layer in which a MEMS thermal-flow sensor formed on thin polyimide film and a pressure sensor are stacked on a plastic plate as a substrate. Therefore, it is possible to measure both the drug-administration rate and injection pressure. Early detection of extravasation can be achieved by identifying the state of needle-puncture based on changes in injection pressure. Then, the amount of leaked drug after leak occurs can be accurately measured with a flow sensor. We evaluated the flow and pressure detection function of the proposed device and confirmed that it is possible to detect extravasation early through an experiment involving a piece of raw chicken simulating human skin and flesh. (c) 2022 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.