CMOSens as next-generation hot wire sensor

Hot-wire anemometers have set the standard for air flow measurements in respiratory applications for decades. In these, a thin wire is placed in the gas stream and heated. By measuring the heat loss of the wire, the velocity or flow of the stream can be determined. Such hot-wire anemometers are typically analog devices - sensitive to shock and vibration - which age over time and require frequent re-calibration. Sensirion's patented CMOSens Technology is the natural evolution of hot-wire anemometry. It uses the same thermal measurement principle to determine the flow of a gas or liquid, but the sensing element has been miniaturized and combined with analog and digital signal processing circuitry on a tiny CMOS silicon chip. The result is an accurate, robust, cost-effective, digital, and fully calibrated solution that has been widely accepted across industry.

In the medical field, the CMOSens^® Technology is specifically used in respiratory applications such as ventilators, anesthesia or continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) devices. Learn more.