An implantable miniaturized pressure sensor integrates a capacitor and an inductor
in one small chip, forming a resonant LC circuit having a Q value of 10 or greater.
The capacitor has an upper capacitor plate and a lower capacitor plate disposed
proximate thereof. The upper and lower capacitor plates are connected to one or
more spiral inductor coils. The sensor is micromachined from silicon to form a
thin and robust membrane disposed on top of the upper capacitor plate. The sensor
is hermetically sealed and the membrane is deflected relative to the upper capacitor
plate by an external fluid, gas, or mechanical pressure. The resonant frequency
of the sensor can be remotely monitored and continuously measured with an external
detector pick up coil disposed proximate the sensor. The sensor can be smaller
than 220.5 mm and is particularly useful for intraocular applications.