To help answer your questions, this is for a prototype and the goal here is feasibility, as long as I am able to use the transducers, pair it with the TDC likely the GP22 module I sent and connect it to the Arduino, I would have to use the data from the transducer and convert it into something I can use to get flow in mL/min. I would like to make it as close to the size of a blood vessel as possible but like you mentioned the Digikey sensor head is 1.7 cm diameter, far larger than any blood vessel. So, ideally I would make the vessel size as large as I would need and out of the material that would be best which could take a measurement with these transducers.
Our team's goal is to be able to measure flow through a tube weather that be made of silicone or something else that pairs better with the transducers, the size of the vessel to be as big as it needs to be to get the transducers to take a measurement. Then, for placement the idea is to use a gel along the side of the vessel model, take a measurement, then remove the sensors. I guess if 160 mL/min isn't possible then, we would have to pick a flow rate that is possible with these sensors and when demonstrating feasibility we would have to state that in a final real prototype it would measure 160 mL/min as opposed to what these transducers are capable of.
So, what size vessel diameter do you think we should use that would work best? Is using a gel a good idea to remove noise? Can we make the vessel out of silicone or what material would work best that is still close to that of a blood vessel?
Can I use the Digikey sensors paired with the GP 22 Module and the Arduino Uno R3? What type of measurement will the transducer give me? What are the units and is there a conversion formula i can use to convert the measurement to flow rate?
The idea here is we pick a flow rate, when it goes above that rate, i will pair this with an LCD which will state the flow rate is to high, when it goes below it will state it is to low, when it is at our desired flow rate I will state it is perfect.
We want to make a vessel that we can measure flow rate and then design our prototype based on the size of the vessel and the sensors. So essentially our base will have a tip which latches on to the vessel, takes the measurement like a probe and then, gives the user feedback on the flow rate to know if the vessel is flowing at the correct rate.
We found the best way to do this was with ultrasonic transducers and other sensors like the SR04 is a distance sensor and can't be used (ultrasonic flow meters also are not our aim as they are two transducers that are connected to another module to get this reading and can't be used with out prototype base. The ultransonic transducers are similar to what is used in a TTFM like the Medistim and can get us measurements (maybe not as accurate) but again the idea here is feasibility and the most accurate we can within our budget and constraints. Since today blood flow is measured using a doppler probe to listen to sound or the surgeons fingers. Medistim exists but, it has a large bulk unit attached so we designed a prototype of a hand held model with a digital display and a component at the end like the medistem probe where the two transducers will be connected and used to take a measurement of flow through our model vessel. The digikey sensor is the smallest size transducers that i found will work and be the most accurate. Is there any others you can suggest and any other TDC or other unit which we may need to get a measurement on the arduino?
Does this help clarify the project?
