A Multifunctional Capacitive Sensing Platform for Wireless Vascular and Heart Monitoring

TL;DR

This paper introduces a scalable, wireless capacitive sensing platform integrated with antennas for real-time cardiovascular monitoring, capable of measuring strain, pressure, and deformation in various vascular applications.

Contribution

The development of a multifunctional, antenna-integrated capacitive sensor platform that simplifies manufacturing and enables wireless, passive, and scalable cardiovascular monitoring.

Findings

Demonstrated stable wireless resonance response under physiological conditions.

Achieved high sensitivity with specific calibration curves for different applications.

Validated long-term reliability and cyclic elasticity through aging and repeatability tests.

Abstract

We present a multifunctional, antenna-integrated capacitive sensing (MAiCaS) platform for passive, wireless, and real-time cardiovascular monitoring. Unlike conventional systems that require separate sensors and wireless modules, our device unifies sensing, telemetry, and mechanical functionality into a compact and scalable design by exploiting the parasitic capacitance of an inductive antenna as a strain-sensitive element. The sensor is fabricated using a cleanroom-free, single-step UV laser patterning process on a flexible PDMS substrate, reducing manufacturing complexity and enabling high reproducibility. The MAiCaS is suitable for three different applications: as a sensor for epicardial strain measurement, a stent as a sensor, and a vascular graft sensor. We demonstrate MAiCaS's versatility by validating its wireless resonance-based response to strain, pressure, and deformation across unrolled and rolled forms. In vitro experiments demonstrated consistent resonance frequency shifts under physiological conditions, with stable performance on skin, in PBS, human serum, and simulated vascular environments. Repeatability and aging tests confirmed its long-term reliability and elasticity under cyclic loading. Calibration curves revealed high sensitivity across all configurations, with wireless interrogation achieved through S11 parameter measurements and resonance frequency shift as the output metric. The sensitivity of the device was measured to be 2.9 MHz per 1% strain, 0.43 MHz/mmHg, and 309.6kHz/\textmu m for epicardial patch, graft, and stent integrated sensor, respectively. The operation of MAiCaS was evaluated in a human experiment. This monolithic sensor architecture provides a scalable and cost-effective solution for battery-free monitoring of vascular dynamics, with potential for remote diagnostics, post-surgical follow-up, and continuous cardiovascular health management.