Circumferential pressure probe

A probe for measuring circumferential pressures inside a body cavity comprising:

• a circularly sectioned, longitudinally extended support tube, said support tube having an internal lumen and an outside wall, said outside wall consisting of an elastic material, said material capable of being deformed by pressures in the range expected to exist in the area inside the body cavity which is under investigation and tending to return to its original configuration once the pressure is removed,
• at least one deformable wall sensor along the length of the support tube, each such sensor comprising:
• slot means extending through the outside wall of the support tube so that an essentially rectangular flexible wall section is separated from the support tube on three sides, the fourth side of the flexible wall section remained attached longitudinally to the support tube;
• and
• deformation measurement means such that when the flexible wall section is displaced inwardly by an externally applied pressure and deformed, a signal proportional to the degree of deformation is produced which is detectable by an external sensing means;
• external connecting means for connecting the deformable wall sensor to an external sensing means, said external connecting means passing through the lumen of the support tube and terminating at a connection with the external sensing means;
• and
• protecting means for protecting sensor components from substances in the area inside the body cavity which is under investigation so that said substances cannot penetrate the slot means.