Design and Validation of a Distributed Fiber Optic Urethral Pressure Sensor for Continuous Manufacturing
摘要
Current clinical urodynamic examination sensors are limited by single-point measurement capability, bulky dimensions, and low sensitivity. This study presents a distributed fiber Bragg grating (FBG) pressure sensor to address these challenges. We developed a continuous manufacturing system for fabricating functional fiber coatings and implemented this apparatus in the structural design and functional validation of distributed optical fiber urethral pressure sensors. Experimental results demonstrated that using UV-curable resin with a viscosity of 5000 cP at a coating speed of 450 mm/min achieved a minimum coating diameter of 0.4 mm. Systematic pneumatic calibration revealed superior performance metrics of the fabricated sensor, including linearity (R2 = 0.998), measurement consistency (variation < 1.8%), and repeatability (hysteresis error ≤ 2.1%). The innovative coating process enabled precise control over the fiber-optic transducer's mechanical impedance matching with biological tissues, significantly enhancing pressure transfer efficiency. Compared to conventional urethral catheters, our sensor array increased spatial resolution by 40-fold (25 sensing points/cm) while maintaining flexibility required for minimally invasive procedures. This manufacturing methodology establishes a technical foundation for mass production of medical-grade distributed fiber optic sensors, showing potential for revolutionizing urodynamic monitoring through continuous manufacturing of patient-specific devices.