SURVEY OF PRESSURE TRANSDUCER TECHNOLOGY.

PRESSURE TRANSDUCERS AS DESCRIBED IN THIS ARTICLE CONVERT FLUID (LIQUID OR GAS) PRESSURE TO AN ELECTRICAL SIGNAL. A GREAT MANY MEANS OF ELECTRICAL TRANSDUCTION HAVE BEEN (AND ARE)USED IN COMMERCIAL PRESSURE TRANSDUCERS. THIS ARTICLE EXAMINES THOSE TRANSDUCERS THAT PRESENT THE GREATEST PROMISE IN TERMS OF COST AND PERFORMANCE IN COMMERCIAL MEDICAL APPLICATIONS. TYPES DESCRIBED INCLUDE CAPACITIVE TRANSDUCERS; STRAIN GAGES (USING THIN-FILM DEPOSITION, OR BONDED SEMICONDUCTOR, OR PIEZORESISTIVE INTEGRATED SEMICONDUCTOR); ANEROID LOW-VOLTAGE DIFFERENTIAL TRANSFORMERS. MEDICAL TRANSDUCERS FOR NONINVASIVE AND FOR INVASIVE BLOOD-PRESSURE MEASUREMENT ARE DISCUSSED, AND UNIT COST (IN BATCHES OF 10,000 UNITS) AND SIZES ARE COMPARED.