Where Test Plans Break: Measuring the Performance of Ultra-Miniature Sensors

Forj Medical’s Product Development Engineers, Dan Hanson and Aaron Harpster, recently authored an article on testing ultra-miniature sensors in Medical Design Briefs.

Hanson and Harpster addressed why a sensor can pass every isolated test yet still fail once integrated into a device, explaining that test plans break down when sensors are not tested in conditions that simulate real-world use, a gap that often surfaces too late in the design process, when changes are most costly.

Hanson and Harpster also outlined the factors that shape real-world sensor accuracy, including adjacent materials, sensor placement, electrical interference, and vibration, emphasizing that simulating the sensor environment early, rather than waiting for design verification, accelerates time to market, reduces costs, and supports production at scale.