Micromachined Tube Type Thermal Flow Sensor for Adult-Sized Tracheal Intubation Tube

Abstract

We designed and fabricated a tube-type thermal flow sensor for fabricating an adult-sized tracheal intubation tube device intended for clinical practice. The sensor film was packaged into the inside surface of the tube by interface tension and parylene coating, and a flow sensor for an adult-sized tracheal intubation tube was successfully produced. We experimentally investigated flow rate detection and response time and found that the flow sensor fitted King’s model in terms of flow rate detection and has a sufficiently short response time of 59 ms. Thus, we concluded that the developed sensor will be applicable to measuring breathing characteristics of adults in the near future. Finally, the developed sensor was assembled into a tracheal intubation tube actually used in medical treatment.

Keywords

• tube-type thermal flow sensor
• adult-sized tracheal intubation tube
• clinical practice