Development of a flexible pressure sensor for measurement of endotension

Abstract

Aortic aneurysms can be deadly if not treated. Their modern treatment commenced in the early 1950's, but it was during the 1990's that was revolutionized by the introduction of endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR). This minimally invasive procedure is frequently associated with advantages such as shortened hospital stays and the possibility to treat patients unfit for surgery. However, it requires long-term surveillance, which has important implications in the total cost. The development of a smart stent-graft, i.e., a stent-graft with some in-device mechanism to perform a given function and can communicate with an external element, could help mitigate this problem. This paper identifies the main users of a smart stent-graft and presents its key characteristics.