BPN605: Thin Film MEMS Pressure Sensor for Detection of Pressure Fluctuations in a Rat Brain due to Blast Injury

Explosion or blast injuries account for the largest number of injuries sustained in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. For non-penetrating brain injuries, there is a lack of concrete scientific knowledge to explain how kinetic energy from a blast transfers into pressure transients in the brain. Animal model studies of the effects of traumatic brain injuries in rats are currently being conducted. A thin film MEMS pressure sensor has been modified for implantation into a rat brain, and is able to sense dynamic pressure waves a rat is exposed to in a blast. Additionally, the sensor is able to measure the small pressure and temperature changes the animal experiences after the blast due to swelling.

Project end date: 01/18/12