Disposable Piezoresistive MEMS Airflow Sensor for Chronic Respiratory Disease Detection

This paper details the design, fabrication, and characterization of a novel disposable MEMS airflow sensor, employing Bare Conductive electric paint deposited on Whatman 3MM chromatography paper through silk screen printing. The sensor achieves rapid fabrication within 30 minutes. It demonstrates a sensitivity of 1.8 kPa−1, a resolution of 27.6 kPa, and a limit of detection (LoD) of 48.94 kPa, with an operational pressure range from 27.6 to 137.9 kPa. An electronic readout circuit transduces electrical resistance variations into voltage signals, which are monitored via a digital multimeter and analyzed on a PC. The sensor’s disposable nature mitigates nosocomial infection risks and enhances hygiene, making it ideal for monitoring respiratory conditions such as asthma and COPD. With a material cost of under <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${\$}0.1$ </tex-math></inline-formula>, the sensor is highly suitable for scalable, cost-sensitive biomedical applications. Experimental validation confirms the reliability and precision of this proof-of-concept device in airflow measurement. [2024-0148]