This paper presents a wireless and passive micro pressure system based on the LC mutual inductance detection mechanism for gastrointestinal (GI) pressure monitoring. The micro pressure system is composed of a sensor capsule (a pressure sensitive micro capacitive sensor in series with an induction coil to form an LC tank) and a detection unit (a detection coil connected with a network analyzer). The pressure variations under measurement lead to changes in the capacitance of the pressure sensor and therefore a shift in the LC tank resonant frequency, quantified by the impedance measurement of the detection coil. The pressure sensor was fabricated using microfabrication processes with key parameters optimized. The in vitro characterization of the micro pressure system recorded a sensitivity of 0.2491 kHz/kPa (−10 kPa to 30 kPa). One-month rabbit stomach pressure monitoring was conducted based on the developed micro pressure system as a confirmation of device long term in vivo stability. Furthermore, rabbit stomach pressure variations before and after food feeding was recorded and compared where three distinctive contraction patterns (random contraction with low amplitude, irregular strong contractions and regular contraction in a cyclic manner) following food feeding were located. Compared to previous reported GI pressure sensors, this LC tank is featured with simple device structure without batteries and electrical components for energy transfer. Both in vitro and in vivo characterization confirm the functionality of the system, which may enable the gastrointestinal motility study in the near future.
