Now there are a variety of pressure sensors on the market for equipment engineers to choose from. Among them, capacitance and Piezoresistance pressure sensors are the most widely used.

Capacitance pressure transducer is a kind of pressure sensor which uses capacitance as sensitive element to change the measured pressure into capacitance value. Capacitive transducer for pressure measurement generally uses a circular metal film as an electrode of the capacitor. When the film is deformed due to pressure, the capacitance formed between the film and the fixed electrode will change, and the electrical signal related to the voltage can be output through the measuring circuit.

Piezoresistance pressure sensor is mainly based on piezoresistive effect. Piezoresistive effect is used to describe the resistance change of materials under mechanical stress. The pressure of the measured medium acts on the diaphragm of the sensor directly, which makes the diaphragm produce a micro displacement proportional to the pressure of the medium, and changes the resistance value of the sensor. The change is detected by an electronic circuit, and a standard measurement signal corresponding to the pressure is converted and output.

Piezoresistance Sensor

Capacitance Transducer

Performance ·The earliest and most widely used type of pressure sensor. ·simple construction, low cost and good durability. ·Sensors must be powered, which makes them unsuitable for low-power or battery operating systems. · When measuring the micro differential pressure within 10KPA, the sensitivity and accuracy are not high enough, and it is easy to drift。

Performance · Because there is no direct current flowing through the capacitors, they are essentially low-power. ·The capacitor elements are mechanically simple and robust and are very adaptable to overpressure conditions. ·Ideal for low voltage applications and quite harsh environments. ·Capacitance Transducer has low hysteresis and good repeatability. The temperature sensitivity is also very low.

Keeping Isolation rooms Safe During Disease Outbreaks

The outbreak of an infectious disease can be overwhelming if a hospital is not prepared. Hospitals employ a variety of strategies to prevent the spread of such illnesses. One of the most prevalent approaches is to treat these patients in isolation rooms. For those working in and around isolation rooms, their safety depends on proper control of the differential pressure of the room. As the coronavirus becomes ever more a pressing concern, it is critical for hospitals and staff to take the right precautions for keeping isolation rooms safe.

What are Isolation Rooms?

Isolation rooms are designed to prevent contaminated particles from spreading beyond a quarantined area. To prevent the contaminated air from escaping, isolation rooms require negative air pressure relative to the outside reference area, a difference of at least -0.01” WC. This ensures clean air is drawn into the room and contaminated particles, such as cough droplets, inside the room are not able to escape.
A relevant example of an infectious disease currently being treated in isolation rooms is the coronavirus. Since coronavirus can be easily spread through the air, treating patients in an isolation room keeps staff and other hospital patients safe from contracting the disease.
Although an isolation room might have the equipment necessary to meet minimal safety standards, such technology is often outdated and has disadvantages that can put patients and staff at risk. In an outbreak such as coronavirus, upgrading old instruments to eliminate said drawbacks can help ensure the safety of an isolation room. Improper or unbalanced room pressurization can put patients and staff at risk of exposure if dangerous contaminants escape the space.

How to Better Maintain Safety of Isolation Rooms

Hospitals are often fiscally constrained from making facility upgrades; yet, now more than ever, the healthcare system needs to demonstrate it can handle a potential epidemic, especially as the risk of coronavirus looms.
The most resourceful way to implement an isolation room strategy is to utilize the real-time monitoring and alarm capabilities of a room pressure monitor (RPM). RPMs are the safest and most reliable monitoring solution for isolation rooms. A transducer-based pressure sensor–DP transducer makes it more accurate and dependable than a ball pressure indicator and requires zero manual testing.
Some devices also have the ability to monitor temperature and humidity.

Alpha Can Help Keep Hospitals Safe

Alpha has engineered the best devices to protect patients and staff, especially those in isolation rooms. Model 178A can help prevent airborne infections like the coronavirus from spreading.

Model 178A can replace outdated and unreliable technology like a ball pressure indicator or pressure gauge. Using Alpha’s dead-ended variable capacitance pressure sensor, Model 178A allows staff to see at a glance if a room is properly pressurized, even from down the hall.
Unlike the visual-only function of a ball pressure indicator, Model 178A analog output can be directly connected to a BMS to indicate when a room goes into alarm.

Maximum standards – 0.07%FS accuracy

———Significant breakthrough in HVAC industry

September is a harvest season, Through continual technical innovations, we Alpha R&D team make a big breakthrough that our new model 168 intrinsically safe pressure transducer is born with extremely accuracy 0.07%FS defeat the highest 0.25%FS in this industry. pressure range as low as 10pa only. This model use special diaphragm sensors and differential capacitance principle of operation that have the advantage of a perfectly elastic and are better able to handle over pressure and pres-sure spikes.

It is a remarkable benefits technology that performs in low-pressure environments, specifically clean rooms and isolation rooms (hospitals, clinics, etc.) as accuracy, reliability, and stability are so vital. Highly precision is required in these applications.

More important, this improvement will not raise the cost with better function. 10Pa pressure range will expand the application in special condition.

Visit our product information pages to learn more about 168 pressure transmitter which will help you know more about our pressure sensor product .