The downsizing of medical devices in critical care is improving patient treatment. More elegant and advanced, smaller medical devices are enabling medical professionals to deliver enhanced care in ways that were not possible before.
Image Credit: Amphenol Advanced Sensors
However, these devices and their functionality depend on custom miniature sensors that are designed specifically for the devices but also meet the rigors of application.
The demand for custom miniature sensors in critical care
As small, specialized monitoring devices that measure and track vital patient metrics, miniature sensors are scaling down their predecessors without compromising accuracy or functionality.
While the miniaturization of medical devices is not a new phenomenon in medicine, it is strengthening its position in critical care. Smaller devices and their accompanying sensors are assisting caregivers and allowing them to do more.
The demand for miniaturized custom sensors in medicine is driven by several factors, such as:
- Rapid advancements in medical technology: As medical care devices are becoming more compact and sophisticated, so are sensors. Not all medical devices are the same, and the sensors required for them demand a specific design that off-the-shelf alternatives cannot deliver.
- Growing demand for personalized patient care: While patient care has always been personalized, new technology and treatment methodologies enable doctors and physicians to provide more individualized care to the patient, also providing better outcomes.
- Real-time monitoring: The more detailed data provided to medical professionals regarding the patients they are treating, the better. In a critical care setting, even minor changes in a patient’s condition can lead to significant consequences.
Examples of critical care OEM medical devices improved by miniature sensors
The creation of OEM medical equipment that is smaller but more impactful is already well-established in critical care settings and delivering results.
Examples of medical devices that benefit from custom miniature medical sensors are described below:
1. Respiratory monitors
Respiratory monitors measure the respiratory parameters of a patient, such as respiratory rate, oxygen saturation, and tidal volume, to detect changes in respiratory function and alert healthcare providers of potential respiratory distress.
They are used to monitor patients who need mechanical ventilation or have chronic respiratory conditions to ensure optimal lung function and prevent respiratory failure.
Tiny pressure sensors may be positioned on the body or close to the lungs to deliver real-time data. This can help medical personnel quickly identify any changes in a patient’s condition.
2. Blood pressure monitors
Blood pressure monitors measure the blood pressure of a patient to detect changes in cardiovascular function and alert healthcare providers of potential complications.
They are typically utilized to monitor patients who are critically ill or undergoing surgery to confirm optimal hemodynamic stability and to inhibit adverse events.
Smaller pressure sensors enable the device to detect slight fluctuations in blood pressure that may go undetected by traditional methods without resulting in discomfort during short- or long-term use.
3. Temperature monitoring devices
Temperature monitoring devices are used to measure body temperature to allow healthcare providers to detect and treat issues, including inflammation, infection, or organ dysfunction, before they develop into bigger issues.
Temperature sensors are used in a wide variety of applications across critical care, such as devices for cardiac care, dialysis, laser surgical assemblies, and respiratory care.
Compact and lightweight, custom miniature sensors may be positioned anywhere on the body. This provides more accurate readings than larger sensors.
They can also be designed for some of the most sophisticated and compact medical devices, including laser surgical assemblies, to allow temperature monitoring to be conducted where the device is.
4. Cardiac monitors
Cardiac monitors are used to measure the heart rate and rhythm of a patient to detect changes in cardiovascular function and alert healthcare providers of potential complications.
These are used in a variety of applications, including for patients who are undergoing surgery, critically ill, or have a history of heart disease. These monitors ensure optimal cardiac function and prevent adverse events.
Cardiac monitors take various forms in critical care, such as fractional flow reserve monitors, catheters, and arterial blood pressure devices.
Miniature sensors facilitate the integration of cardiac monitors directly onto patients, removing cumbersome wires and enabling healthcare providers to remotely measure a patient’s cardiovascular activity.
When these are utilized in surgical procedures, the surgical teams have an improved and less invasive way of monitoring key metrics and vital signs.
5. Intracranial catheters
Intracranial catheters are inserted into the brain to give caregivers a way of measuring temperature and pressure.
These catheters are used to monitor patients who are recovering from neurological surgery or have suffered a stroke, traumatic brain injury, or other condition to ensure optimal brain perfusion and prevent secondary brain injury.
The brain is one of the most complex and delicate organs, and it demands precision when it comes to monitoring. Miniaturized sensors allow intracranial catheters to deliver a clearer picture of what is taking place in the brain with reduced risk and improved accuracy.
Upgrading patient care and outcomes
Regardless of use, custom miniature sensors in critical care devices help to enhance both patient care and outcomes. The advantages of a miniature sensor that is designed and manufactured for a specific application include the following:
- Non-invasiveness
- Enhanced accuracy
- Cost-effectiveness
- Decreased risk of infection
- Increased patient comfort
Non-invasiveness
Due to the smaller size of these sensors, they are less invasive. In delicate procedures and for critical care patients, less intrusive devices are preferred since they cause less bodily disruption and reduce the risk of complications.
Improved data
Accurate data is extremely important for medical professionals providing treatment to a patient. Custom miniature sensors deliver measurements with increased precision and reduced risk of error.
Since custom miniature sensors are designed specifically for the device they are installed in, they are more reliable than a retrofitted sensor. During the design of a sensor, a custom sensor manufacturer must consider the size, housing, longevity, and environmental factors.
Cost-effective treatment
With improved data and user experience, providing high-level yet specific care that is personalized to the patient is easier. This also provides cost savings when it comes to time and resources.
For example, using custom miniature sensors, IV pumps can rapidly adjust and regulate flow rates with improved accuracy. This provides more control over care, meaning that the patient can heal and recuperate more quickly, saving short- and long-term medical costs.
Decreased risk of infection
One in every 31 patients in a hospital has a Healthcare-Associated Infection (HAI) at any given time. An infection of any sort is concerning in patient care, but HAIs are especially concerning for critical care patients because infections can have more of an impact on these patients’ condition and recovery.
The non-invasiveness of miniature sensors means that the risk of infection is significantly decreased due to there being less surface area for bacterial growth or disruption to the patient’s body.
Increased patient comfort
Custom miniature sensors reduce the need for intrusive procedures or bulky medical equipment. Wearable sensors in healthcare are a key example of this. Smaller devices and sensor technology enable the monitoring of patient vitals without affecting their mobility or demanding additional hardware.
Challenges in development
The creation of a custom-designed miniature sensor for medical devices is not as straightforward as taking an existing sensor and reducing its measurements.
Constructing smaller sensors demands a high level of experience and expertise, which not all OEM sensor manufacturers have.
On the technical side, creating a smaller sensor that meets and exceeds performance requirements means designing it so that – aside from size – there is virtually no difference from a standard-sized sensor without compromising reliability, accuracy, and lifespan.
Not all custom sensors are created for brand-new medical devices. In these cases, the miniature sensor is fundamentally being retrofitted to the application. This type of integration is not always easy.
Ideally, adding a custom sensor would be as straightforward as removing the old component and plugging in the new one. However, pressure sensors, for example, have their own unique footprint in a device, and a custom medical instrument design and development (regardless of size) needs to accommodate this.
Like all components of a medical device, custom miniature sensors must meet regulatory compliance measures for performance and safety. These standards are even more strict for critical care applications. If just one part of a device does not meet the standards, the whole device is deemed to be out of compliance.
The future of custom miniature medical sensors
Miniaturization is enhancing patient care as smaller medical devices facilitate more advanced treatments. As technology continues to advance in medicine, custom miniature sensors will become an even more essential component of many critical care devices.
About Amphenol Advanced Sensors
Amphenol Advanced Sensors, with its portfolio of industry-leading brands - Thermometrics, NovaSensor, Telaire, Protimeter and Kaye - is an innovator in advanced sensing technologies and innovative embedded measurement solutions customized for regulatory and applications, value by providing critical information for real-time decisions.
We offer domain expertise, rapid customization, world-class manufacturing capability and lasting customer relationships deliver the greatest value in cost of ownership to their customers.
Amphenol Advanced Sensors is a member of the USA-based Amphenol Corporation. With our own global presence we offer our customers exceptional technical support and service in the areas of development, production and distribution.
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