Inventors:
Tzung K. Hsiai - Santa Monica CA, US
Gopikrishnan Soundararajan - Alisa Viejo CA, US
Eun Sok Kim - Rancho Palos Verdes CA, US
Hongyu Yu - Mesa AZ, US
Mahsa Rouhanizadeh - Newport Beach CA, US
Christina Tiantian Lin - Santa Rosa CA, US
Assignee:
University of Southern California - Los Angeles CA
International Classification:
C23C 14/34
US Classification:
20419215, 20419217, 438 50, 438 54, 438694, 438706, 438712, 438724, 438753, 438757, 216 2, 216 58, 216 66, 216 99
Abstract:
A micromachined sensor for measuring vascular parameters, such as fluid shear stress, includes a substrate having a front-side surface, and a backside surface opposite the front-side surface. The sensor includes a diaphragm overlying a cavity etched within the substrate, and a heat sensing element disposed on the front-side surface of the substrate and on top of the cavity and the diaphragm. The heat sensing element is electrically couplable to electrode leads formed on the backside surface of the substrate. The sensor includes an electronic system connected to the backside surface and configured to measure a change in heat convection from the sensing element to surrounding fluid when the sensing element is heated by applying an electric current thereto, and further configured to derive from the change in heat convection vascular parameters such as the shear stress of fluid flowing past the sensing element.