A new biomedical sensor for measuring PCO2.

Measuring PCO2 (partial pressure of carbon dioxide) in an organ can enable early detection of ischemia. However, there are few clinical applicable solutions for measuring PCO2. Based upon the requirement for clinical applications, a conductivity based PCO2 sensor is proposed. A conductivity based PCO2 sensor measures conductance in an aqueous solution separated from the measured object by a gas-permeable membrane. A bridge design with two cavities is favored for such a sensor. A planar and a cylindrical macro prototype based upon the bridge design were studied. The design criteria were based on the contribution from the electrode polarization, stray capacitances, contact area with the sample and design ability to miniaturize the sensor. The cylindrical sensor is favored because of its large contact area and advantages for miniaturization. Further investigation has to be done to confirm the functionality of such a design in a miniaturized form and its clinical performance.